cry out

phrasal 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 woman cried out for help, but no one answered initially. —Kocha Olarn, CNN, 19 Sep. 2024

Neither quite satire nor thriller nor murder mystery, the film cries out for a sharper attack. —Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Sep. 2024

But many companies in a range of industries are crying out for a strategy rather than a plan. —Dev Patnaik, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024

In essence, the victims lose their voice and cannot physically cry out or scream. —Patricia Fersch, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024