cry out

phrasal verb

cried out; crying out; cries out

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

She cried out in pain.

: 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.

—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

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Each delicious grotesque cries out to the divine and shivers in earthly pleasure. —

Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024 Gold money cries out for banking and banking leads to lending and lending leads to IOUs and IOUs lead to a monetary system where money with intrinsic value is the tip of an iceberg of currencies and financial instruments. —

Clem Chambers, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024 Our bodies will shortly get swathed in fall jackets, cozy sweaters, and wide-leg jeans, but our feet are already crying out for trendy sneakers, chunky loafers, and cute boots for autumn. —

Vivien Lee, refinery29.com, 19 Sep. 2024 The signs were all there, according to some family members who said the boy had been crying out for help for months if not years. —

Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cry out