outcry

noun

out·​cry ˈau̇t-ˌkrī 

1

a

: a loud cry : clamor

b

: a vehement protest

There was a public outcry over his comments.

2

: auction

Synonyms of outcry

• roar
• noise
• howl

Examples of outcry in a Sentence

They were surprised by the outcry against the casino proposal.

There was a lot of public outcry over his racial comments.

Recent Examples on the Web

There was a customer outcry in Baltimore earlier this year as winter heating costs shot monthly bills above $1,000 for some residents. —Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 4 Dec. 2025

The requirement, shared confidentially with smartphone providers last week, has been the subject of political outcry over fears the government could track users or access their data. —Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 3 Dec. 2025

There were massive protests and a ton of public outcry, especially among the thousands of government workers whose careers and livelihoods were completely upended. —Dana Taylor, USA Today, 1 Dec. 2025

After a multi-billion dollar settlement from BP and regulatory reform, the nationwide outcry over industry recklessness quieted to a murmur. —Kylie Williams, Miami Herald, 29 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for outcry

• apply
• awry
• belie
• bely
• bigeye
• bonsai
• buckeye
• comply
• coxae
• decry
• defy
• deny

Kids Definition

outcry

noun

out·​cry ˈau̇t-ˌkrī 

1

: a loud cry : clamor

2

: a strong protest