What does cry mean?
Cry is one of English's most fundamental emotional verbs. Its core meaning is to shed tears in response to sadness, joy, pain, or being deeply moved — a universal human behavior that transcends language. The word also carries a second major sense: to shout or call out loudly, as when someone cries for help or a street vendor cries wares through the streets. As a noun, a cry can be any loud utterance — the cry of a seagull, a battle cry, a baby's cry. The phrase 'a far cry from' has become a staple idiom meaning 'very different from.' Crying carries no fixed register: it works equally in intimate conversation ('she cried herself to sleep') and formal writing ('the crowd's cries filled the square'). Because tears signal vulnerability, crying often connotes sincerity and depth of feeling rather than weakness alone.
To shed tears as an expression of distress, pain, or strong emotion; to weep.
"He cried openly at his grandmother's funeral."
To make a loud call or shout.
"'Help!' she cried into the darkness."
A loud call or utterance, especially expressing emotion; the distinctive sound made by an animal.
"We heard the mournful cry of a distant loon."
Used for multiple cries or calls, especially animal sounds or repeated shouts.
"The hunter recognized the cries of the fox across the valley."
"A far cry from" — one of English's most common idioms — literally comes from the distance at which two hunters' shouts could still be heard.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cry
The verb 'cry' entered Middle English around the 13th century, borrowed from Old French 'crier,' which itself derived from Latin 'quiritare' — to wail or shriek, famously used of calling on the Quirites (Roman citizens) for help. This Latin root also gives us related words like 'claim,' 'clamor,' and 'declaim,' all sharing the sense of calling out loudly. Over time, the word's meaning broadened from vocal outcry to include the shedding of tears, becoming the dominant sense by the Early Modern period.
Related word forms
How cry is actually used
Crying tears is often associated with sadness but can express joy, relief, or being moved. The verb covers both weeping and shouting aloud, so context determines which sense applies.
Easily confused with cry
"Cray" (or "cray-cray") is slang for crazy, while "cry" means to shed tears or shout out.
A crow is a bird or the act of boastful triumph, whereas a cry is a call or expression of distress.