crying

Pluralcryings

1. 1
   verb

   Present participle of cry. Use this form for something happening right now, often after is, was, or were.

   The baby was crying all through the night.

   He kept crying until his mother came home.

   Note
2. 2
   nouncountable or uncountable

   The act of weeping or shouting out loud.

   The crying of the baby kept the whole house awake.

   Her crying finally stopped after a few minutes.

   Similarweeping, sobbing, wailing

   Note
3. 3
   adjective

   So urgent that something must be done about it right away.

   Like an alarm that keeps ringing until someone finally deals with it.

   There is a crying need for more teachers in rural schools.

   The town faces a crying shortage of clean drinking water.

   Similarurgent, pressing, desperate, dire

   Note
4. 4
   adjective

   So bad that it deserves to be blamed or criticized.

   It's a crying shame that the old library was torn down.

   Letting good food go to waste is a crying shame.

   Similarterrible, deplorable, glaring, flagrant

   Note
5. 5
   adjective

   Having tears coming out of the eyes.

   The crying baby was finally soothed with a warm bottle.

   A crying child stood alone at the school gate.

   Similarsobbing

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