Word
cry
US/ˈkɹaɪ/
UK/kɹˈaɪ/
Definitions
01to shed tears
A1 · Beginner
v. to produce tears from your eyes because you are sad, angry, or in pain.
v. to shed tears as an expression of distress, pain, or sorrow. Intransitive in this primary sense.
日本語:泣く※
“The little boy started to cry when he fell off his bicycle in the park.”
“She didn't want to cry in front of her colleagues, so she waited until she reached the privacy of her car to let the tears fall.”
02an act of weeping
A2 · Elementary Countable noun
n. a period of time spent crying.
n. a spell or fit of weeping.
“Sometimes a good cry makes you feel much better when you are stressed.”
“After receiving the news, she went upstairs for a long cry, emerging an hour later looking exhausted but calm.”
03a loud shout
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a loud shout or a sudden sound made by an animal.
n. a loud vocal sound, either human or animal, expressing a specific emotion or signal.
日本語:叫び声※
Español:grito
“We heard a loud cry for help coming from the woods behind the house.”
“The haunting cry of a lone wolf echoed through the valley, startling the hikers who were setting up their camp.”
Antonyms
04an urgent request
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a strong or desperate request for help or attention.
n. a desperate or urgent appeal for assistance or public attention.
“The charity's advertisement was a cry for help for the victims of the flood.”
“The protest was seen by many as a desperate cry for justice in a system that had ignored the community for decades.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “cry” in context.
Verb
01. cry for help
“We heard someone crying for help from the middle of the lake.”
verb + prep + noun
02. cry out in pain
“The athlete cried out in pain after twisting his ankle during the final lap.”
verb + prep + noun
03. cry yourself to sleep
“After the argument, she went to her room and cried herself to sleep.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
04. stop and cry
“Sometimes you just need to stop and cry to let all the stress out.”
verb + and + verb
Adverb
05. bitterly cry
“He bitterly cried when he realized he had failed the exam for the third time.”
adv + verb
06. cry softly
“She sat in the back of the cinema and cried softly during the movie's tragic ending.”
verb + adv
07. cry uncontrollably
“The child was crying uncontrollably because he had lost his favorite toy.”
verb + adv
Real-World Examples
“She said she ran downstairs "shaking, crying and begging for help", adding: "I thought someone would protect me."
Instead, she was offered another room in the hotel.” “I could have cried during my last shift.” Word family
VERB
NOUN
Related words
Idioms
01. cry all the way to the bank
02. cry cupboard
03. cry down
04. cry for help
05. cry foul
The word in film
Poster: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Cry for Happy · 1961 · Comedy
- Directed by:
- George Marshall
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Donald O'Connor, Miiko Taka
George Marshall directs this East-meets-West romantic comedy starring Glenn Ford as a Navy combat photographer stationed in Tokyo who mistakenly rents an authentic geisha house. The title references the paradoxical human impulse to shed tears during moments of profound joy and unexpected contentment.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/cry
※ 機械で選んだ訳語です。ネイティブスピーカーによる確認はまだです。
「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0