cry out

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 children reportedly cried out for their mother as she was driven away, the lawsuit said. —Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2026

Love collapses, and her mother cries out several times before the body camera footage ends. —Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026

Skeletor, meanwhile, was joyously evil, the sort of scenery-chewing villain who's crying out for a moustache to twirl. —Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 June 2026

Ribs practically cry out for a hoppy IPA, though a Belgian-style Tripel or Dubbel pairs well, too. —Jay R. Brooks, Mercury News, 1 June 2026

Rhymes for cry out

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