# cry for help

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/cry-for-help
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Acting out as a means of displaying a subconscious desire for attention or help.

## Examples

- His angry outburst was really a cry for help.
- She kept skipping class, but her teachers saw it as a cry for help and talked to her.
- The vandalism seemed like mindless destruction, yet those who knew him understood it as a desperate cry for help from a grieving teenager.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.