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

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

The situation cries out for some truly objective research into this experiment in industry-specific wage-setting. —Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2025

This is the trapped subject, the voice crying out in the wilderness, seeking a response from the Everything but getting only the scornful bounce-back of itself. —James Parker, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2025

His agenda cries out for a stiff dose of restraint and common sense. —Clive Crook, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025

Rhymes for cry out

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