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

The blood spilled in Syria's Alawite villages and cities cries out for acknowledgement. —Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025

While not making as much noise as the other participants in the cryptocurrency space, leaders in the banking sector have also crying out for clarity for the last several years. —Gene A. Grant Ii, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025

While some cried out, others attempted to escape the blaze through the windows, Yelkovan told İhlas News Agency. —Bailey Richards, People.com, 21 Jan. 2025

After the remake of the original games sold well in 2020, people have been crying out for a new game in the series – or at least a new set of remakes, this time based on the Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky games. —Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025

Rhymes for cry out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout