Synonyms of crying

crying 1 of 3

adjective

ˈkrī-iŋ 

as in urgent

needing immediate attention

a crying need for more activities for young people in this town

Synonyms & Similar Words

• urgent
• acute
• pressing
• intense
• desperate
• dire
• burning
• critical
• compelling
• emergent
• importunate
• instant
• serious
• imperative
• insistent
• clamant
• extreme
• demanding
• imperious
• immediate
• exigent
• overriding
• crucial
• necessitous
• severe
• dangerous
• grave
• life-and-death
• hazardous
• explosive
• precarious
• unstable
• perilous
• vital

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• minor
• trivial
• unimportant
• negligible
• incidental
• noncritical
• safe
• nonurgent
• low-pressure
• stable
• nonthreatening

crying

2 of 3

noun

as in weeping

Related Words

• weeping
• sobbing
• whining
• whimpering
• blubbering
• sniveling
• wail
• groan
• yammering
• lamentation
• moan
• bawl
• shriek
• whine
• lament
• keen
• cry
• plaint
• whimper
• yelp
• yowl
• howl
• squall

Dissimilar Words

• laugh
• chuckle
• giggle
• guffaw
• snicker
• cackle
• titter
• twitter
• chortle
• snigger

crying

3 of 3

verb

present participle of cry

1

as in sobbing

to shed tears often while making meaningless sounds as a sign of pain or distress

some kids started to cry even before the doctor had given them their shot

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sobbing
• weeping
• screaming
• blubbering
• bawling
• grieving
• blubbing
• whimpering
• whining
• mourning
• groaning
• howling
• moaning
• lamenting
• wailing
• sighing
• squalling
• sniffling
• greeting
• keening
• sniveling
• bleating
• mewling
• puling
• yowling

2

as in singing

to utter one's distinctive animal sound

we knew that we were getting very close to the ocean when we could hear sea gulls crying

Synonyms & Similar Words

• singing
• calling

3

as in shouting

to speak so as to be heard at a distance

a mother crying for help

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shouting
• yelling
• screaming
• hollering
• calling
• bawling
• roaring
• bellowing
• thundering
• baying
• vociferating
• sounding off
• shrieking
• wailing
• holloing
• screeching
• whooping
• howling
• squealing
• squeaking
• crowing
• shrilling
• yowling
• hailing
• caterwauling
• ululating
• speaking out
• yawping
• speaking up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• whispering
• breathing
• muttering
• murmuring
• mumbling

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of crying

Adjective

Some in the pro-crying camp pointed to articles and headlines as proof. — Jon Sarlin, CNN Money, 11 July 2026

Noun

Elementary school students may have tantrums, be clingy, have toileting accidents, engage in uncontrollable crying or become less talkative as a result of changes in schools, homes and caregivers. — Nikki R Wooten, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026

Heart attacks and strokes occur disproportionately following rejections, and rejected individuals often show symptoms that are typically associated with drug withdrawal, including anxiety, depression, crying, loss of appetite, and irritability. — George Loewenstein, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026

Authorities said the baby was next to the dumpster, breathing and crying, with the umbilical cord still attached. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026

Sensing others might also be feeling glum, Ted delivers a pep talk about how crying is okay in football. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026

The crying can become the dominant thing, and the acting is the crying as opposed to being able to convey a personality underneath all of that, being able to find the nuance of who this character is outside of the crying. — Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 15 Aug. 2026

Another video shows a man holding the crying infant, with his arms covered in blood and the lower half of his body still trapped in rubble. — Duarte Dias, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026

Oscar-winning actress Julianne Moore received a bizarre gift of flip-flops adorned with her own crying face. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Aug. 2026

Sheriff's deputies found two people standing near a tan van crying, the report says. — Rafael Escalera Montoto, Arkansas Online, 5 Aug. 2026

Verb

Moirologists, as they’re now known, were usually women, and their job was to display grief by crying, wailing, and tearing their hair. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026

Families waiting for the aircraft carrier’s arrival in San Diego Bay described crying and losing sleep after hearing about the ship’s food shortages and tough conditions. — Julie Watson, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026

There were a lot of nuns and priests, and people crossing themselves and crying. — CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026

Christy remembered crying upon hearing reports that missiles were fired toward the carrier, and wondering whether his son would survive. — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 8 Oct. 2026

Sara Bareilles almost got through this interview without crying. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

The episode ends with Kayce crying while looking at a broken family photo of him with Tate and Monica. — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026

And not be distracted by whether or not Ed Sheeran is crying today or crying tomorrow. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026

Puffy-eyed and sniffly after crying through an audition, Rife explained over a video call why Uncrustables and electrolyte powder, the music of Sam Barber, and scary movies made his list of essentials. — Kathryn Shattuck, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026