cries
cries — verb
- criespresent simple I / you / we / they
- crieses3rd person singular
- criesing-ing form
- criesedpast simple
1. to have tears coming from your eyes because you feel sad, upset, or hurt — for e
to have tears coming from your eyes because you feel sad, upset, or hurt — for example, when a child falls and scrapes a knee, or someone hears very bad news.
When Adina heard that her grandmother had passed away, she sat on the sofa and cried for nearly an hour.
cry + preposition for + duration
The toddler cried loudly when Marco took away the toy train.
Min cried during the final scene of the movie because the ending was so touching.
Liam rarely cries, but the documentary about rescued animals made his eyes water.
The baby cries every time the nurse gives her a vaccination shot.
- laugh
opposite emotional expression — showing joy instead of sadness
文法句型
cry (no object)
用法筆記
This sense is intransitive — you cannot 'cry tears' as a direct object; instead say 'shed tears' or 'weep'. Frequently used with prepositions like 'for' (cry for hours), 'with' (cry with joy), or 'over' (cry over a loss).
常見錯誤
2. to continue crying until you fall asleep, usually because of sadness or loneline
to continue crying until you fall asleep, usually because of sadness or loneliness.
After the argument with her best friend, Sari cried herself to sleep that night.
cry + reflexive pronoun + to sleep
The little boy cried himself to sleep on his first night at summer camp.
Ignacio was so homesick during his first semester abroad that he cried himself to sleep several times.
Some parents let a baby cry itself to sleep instead of picking it up right away.
文法句型
cry + oneself + to sleep
用法筆記
Always used with a reflexive pronoun (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves) followed by 'to sleep'. Cannot be used without the reflexive — you would not say 'cried to sleep'.
常見錯誤
3. to say something very loudly, especially because you are surprised, scared, or t
to say something very loudly, especially because you are surprised, scared, or trying to get someone's attention.
"Watch out!" cried Wei as the cyclist swerved to avoid the open car door.
cry + direct speech for warning
Hamza cried out in pain when he stepped on a broken piece of glass.
cry out in + noun (pain / surprise / alarm)
The tour guide cried a warning to the hikers just before the rocks began to fall.
Pedro cried that he had found the lost puppy hiding under the porch.
Amira cried for help when her boat drifted away from the dock.
- whisper
speaking very softly, the opposite of crying out
文法句型
cry + out
cry + direct speech
cry + that-clause
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (SHED TEARS) by the presence of a loud voice rather than tears. The direct-speech pattern ('"Stop!" he cried.') is common in narrative writing and is slightly formal in modern speech; 'shout' or 'yell' are more common in everyday conversation.
常見錯誤
4. to announce something publicly and with emphasis, so that a large number of peop
to announce something publicly and with emphasis, so that a large number of people know about it.
The town crier cried the news of the king's arrival through the market square.
historical register: town crier + cry + news
Street vendors cried their goods to the crowd at the Sunday market.
A town crier on the balcony cried the election results to the crowd below.
During the festival, a herald cried that the games would begin at sunset.
- conceal
to keep something hidden instead of announcing it publicly
文法句型
cry + that-clause
cry + noun phrase
用法筆記
This sense is mostly historical or literary. In modern English, 'announce', 'proclaim', or 'declare' are more natural choices. Common in contexts involving town criers, heralds, or market vendors in period settings.
常見錯誤
5. to make the natural sound that is typical of a particular animal or bird.
to make the natural sound that is typical of a particular animal or bird.
The seagulls cried loudly over the harbour as the fishing boats came in.
bird + cries + location
Diya heard the monkeys cry from the trees just before dawn.
The peacock cries with a shrill sound that can be heard from far away.
At night the foxes cried in the hills behind the village, making the children shiver.
文法句型
animal + cries
bird + cries
用法筆記
Used for birds, mammals, and other animals. 'Call' is more common for birds making contact sounds; 'cry' suggests a more noticeable or piercing sound. Not used for domestic animals like cats (meow) or dogs (bark) — those have their own verbs.
常見錯誤
6. to urgently need or demand a particular action, solution, or improvement — used
to urgently need or demand a particular action, solution, or improvement — used for situations, not people.
After months without rain, the farmland cried for water to save the crops.
cry for + noun (figurative: need)
The broken school roof cries out for repair before the winter rains arrive.
cry out for + noun
This old law cries to be rewritten — it no longer fits modern society.
The city's transport system cries out for new investment and better planning.
- demand
stronger and more direct; can be used with people as well
- require
neutral and formal; less emotional
- be in need of
less metaphorical; simply states the need
文法句型
cry + for + noun
cry + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Always figurative — the subject is a situation or object, not a person. The pattern 'cry out for' is more common than plain 'cry for'. This sense does not involve actual shouting or tears.
常見錯誤
cries — noun
1. a loud sound that a person makes because they feel a strong emotion such as pain
a loud sound that a person makes because they feel a strong emotion such as pain, fear, surprise, or joy.
A cry of pain came from the kitchen when James accidentally cut his finger.
a cry of + [emotion]
When Diya saw the birthday cake, she let out a cry of pure delight.
The children heard a terrible cry in the middle of the night and ran to their parents' room.
Marco's cry of frustration echoed through the garage when his car would not start.
Ignacio gave a loud cry of surprise when the magic trick actually worked.
- shout
a loud call, not necessarily emotional
- exclamation
more formal; a word or phrase said suddenly
- yelp
a short, sharp cry especially of pain or surprise
- silence
absence of sound
文法句型
a cry of + emotion
let out a cry
用法筆記
Countable — one cry, two cries. Frequently followed by 'of + emotion noun' (cry of pain, cry of joy, cry of fear). A cry is usually short and sharp, unlike a long period of weeping.
常見錯誤
❌ 'I heard a cry from the baby's room.' (correct but ambiguous with 'period of crying') — To avoid confusion, use 'a shout' or 'a yell' for a loud vocal sound, and 'a weep' or 'a sob' for shedding tears.
2. a loud call that is meant to get someone to notice you or to come and help.
a loud call that is meant to get someone to notice you or to come and help.
Adina heard a cry for help coming from the river and ran toward the sound.
a cry for + help / attention
The mountaineer sent out a cry to alert the rescue team of her location.
Wei's cry from the balcony made everyone in the garden look up.
There was a cry of "Fire!" and the whole building emptied within minutes.
文法句型
a cry for + noun
a cry to do something
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (EMOTIONAL SOUND): here the purpose is communication or alerting others, not just expressing a feeling. The phrase 'cry for help' is a very common fixed expression.
3. the natural sound that a bird, wild animal, or other creature makes.
the natural sound that a bird, wild animal, or other creature makes.
The cry of a peacock can be heard more than a kilometre away.
the cry of + animal
Hamza recorded the night cries of the frogs near the pond for his science project.
The eagle's cry echoed across the valley as it circled above.
Liam could identify each bird by its distinctive cry.
文法句型
the cry of + animal
animal's cry
用法筆記
Both countable (the cries of the monkeys) and uncountable (the cry of the wolf) uses are common. For domestic animals, English usually uses specific words instead: a dog barks, a cat meows, a cow moos.
4. a period of time during which someone cries because they feel sad, stressed, or
a period of time during which someone cries because they feel sad, stressed, or emotional.
After the long exam, Sari went to her room and had a good cry.
have a good cry (common collocation)
The little girl had a cry when her balloon floated up into the sky.
Pedro felt much better after a long cry in the shower.
After failing her driving test for the third time, Mei-Lin went to her room and had a good cry.
Amira's cry lasted only a few minutes, and then she wiped her eyes and smiled.
文法句型
have a cry
a good cry
用法筆記
Usually singular — 'a cry' or 'a good cry'. The phrase 'have a good cry' is a very common fixed expression meaning to cry freely until you feel emotionally relieved. This sense is informal and conversational.
5. a strong expression of public disapproval or opposition to something that people
a strong expression of public disapproval or opposition to something that people believe is wrong.
There was a public cry against the plan to cut down the city's oldest park.
a public cry against + [issue]
The mayor ignored the cries of protest from local residents about the new highway.
A cry of outrage spread across social media after the factory was caught polluting the river.
The government could not ignore the growing cry for change among young voters.
- support
expression of approval rather than opposition
文法句型
a cry against + noun
a cry of protest
用法筆記
Usually metaphorical — people are not literally shouting, but expressing collective disapproval through petitions, media, or public statements. Often used in news and political commentary. The phrase 'cry of protest' and 'cry for change' are common fixed patterns.
6. a short phrase or slogan that expresses the main goal of a group or movement and
a short phrase or slogan that expresses the main goal of a group or movement and is used to unite supporters.
"Equal pay for equal work" became the rallying cry of the women's rights movement.
rallying cry (fixed expression)
The environmental group adopted "Save our forests" as their cry.
Demonstrators marched through the streets shouting their cry for justice.
The old battle cry of the regiment was still remembered by the village elders.
文法句型
a cry for + cause
rallying cry
用法筆記
The phrase 'rallying cry' is a very common fixed expression meaning a slogan that brings people together for a shared purpose. 'Battle cry' originally meant a shout in war but is now used metaphorically for any strongly motivating slogan.