cry out

phrasal verb

cried out; crying out; cries out

1

: to make a loud sound because of pain, fear, surprise, etc.

She cried out in pain.

2

: to speak in a loud voice : to say something loudly or from a distance

We could hear them on the shore crying out to us, so we waved.

She cried out for help.

3

—used to say that something clearly needs or should have a particular thing, person, use, etc.

—often + to be

A chair like this cries out to be used, not kept in some museum.

The meal cried out to be eaten with a nice white wine.

—often + for

The meal cried out for a nice white wine.

The job cries out for someone who's not afraid to take chances.

Examples of cry out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At the sound of my voice, everything shifted, whoosh-like, and that tiny woman who had been unresponsive arched her body from the bed and cried out and reached for me. —Marit Fischer, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025

Forest Reigns, a post-apocalyptic tale set in the heart of a devastated yet floral Paris, could be a game that unlocks more potential for an FPS genre that’s crying out for new directions. —Matt Gardner, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025

Maldonado is among the designers crying out for a change of pace from the fabric that some adore as a textured neutral base. —Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 26 Dec. 2024

Surely there is a Liverpool fan in your life crying out for a plush teddy that sort of, kind of, maybe doesn’t even really resemble Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominik Szoboszlai or Darwin Nunez. —Caoimhe O'Neill, The Athletic, 19 Dec. 2024