cry
see also PAIN, SAD
- to produce water from your eyes, and make a noise, because you are unhappy or have hurt yourself: cry, (formal) weep*
Don't cry! Everything's going to be all right. ◎ The baby was crying all night.
- one of the drops of water that you produce when you cry: tear (usually plural)
She wiped away her tears. ◎ The tears started rolling down her cheeks.
- if sb is crying, they are in tears
She was in tears over the death of her pet dog.
- if sb is nearly crying, or crying just a little, they are tearful (adverb tearfully)
Poor little Johnny was rather tearful on his first day at school.
- to start crying suddenly: break*/burst* into tears, burst* out crying
When I told her the bad news, she burst into tears.
- if you have been trying not to cry for a long time, but you finally start crying, you break* down
When I said that, it all became too much for her and she finally broke down.
- to cry very hard for a long time: cry your eyes out, cry your heart out
She's been crying her eyes out all day since she heard the dreadful news.
- to cry until you fall asleep: cry yourself to sleep
I just can't forget him. I cry myself to sleep every night.
- if you are nearly crying, but you are able to stop yourself, you choke back the tears
'Thank you, you've been so kind,' he said, choking back the tears.
※ different ways of crying
- to cry while making a noise or while speaking: sob; noun: sob
'Why did this have to happen?' sobbed the woman. ◎ The child let out a loud sob.
- to cry very loudly, like a baby: bawl
- to cry and sniff in an annoying way: snivel
Stop snivelling - you're not a child!
- to cry with great pain or sadness, making a low noise: moan; noun: moan
The man was still alive - we could hear him moaning under the wreckage.
- to cry very loudly and dramatically: wail
- to cry quietly, making a high noise: whimper; noun: whimper
The puppy whimpered with pain.
※ MORE ...
- if a child cries a lot, other children sometimes call him/her a cry-baby
Don't be such a cry-baby!
- if you cry, not because you are sad, but because your eyes are irritated, you say that your eyes water
These onions are making my eyes water!
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