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

As the women cry out for their own mothers, their sobs mingle with the mewling of newborns, who will spend the first days of their lives in tents built precariously atop rocks and gravel. —Sophie Neiman, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Sep. 2024

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