cri de coeur

noun

ˌkrē-də-ˈkər 

plural cris de coeur ˌkrē-də-ˈkər 

: a passionate outcry (as of appeal or protest)

Examples of cri de coeur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The most obvious cri de coeur would be for the struggling family farm or animal welfare, but Karen Espersen and Dave Bilinski, the farm’s co-owners, made a surprising appeal to health science. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

On July 22, Epstein wrote a kind of cri de coeur, portraying himself as a victim of the #MeToo movement. — New York Times, 16 June 2026

The Diabetes Care editorial that Kahn and his colleagues attempted to distribute at the New Orleans conference is a cri de coeur targeted at the right-wing anti-science campaign. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026

McDougall’s book is, among other things, a cri de coeur. — Marina Harss, New Yorker, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, cry from the heart

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cri de coeur

• amour
• grandeur
• hauteur
• velour
• voyeur
• doer
• poor
• poore
• raconteur