crying

C3R1Y4I1N1G2
/ˈkɹaɪ̯.ɪŋ/

adjective

That cries.

“Their constant cryings kept us awake!”

Similar
in tearssobbingweepingsobfultearfulclamantexigentinsistent
Opposite
cheeringlaughingsmilinguncryinguntearful
CommonScrabble 12
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Meanings

adjectivecrying (not comparable)
  1. not comparableThat cries.

    The crying child on the street was evidently lost.

    Synonyms: in tears, sobbing, weeping

  2. not comparableThat demands action or attention; desperate.

    There is a crying need for more manual workers in this country.

  3. not comparableThat deserves rebuke or censure; deplorable.

    It is a crying shame that he managed to get away with that!

nouncrying (countable and uncountable, plural cryings)

plural cryings

  1. countableuncountableThe act of one who cries; a weeping or shouting.

    Their constant cryings kept us awake!

    1 more example

    […] their breathings, cryings, and excretings would have been damaged […]

    1848, The New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal
verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of cry

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveThat cries.

Similar
in tearssobbingweeping
Similar
sobfultearful
Opposite
cheeringlaughingsmilinguncryinguntearfulunweeping
Broader
sad
Narrower
begruttenblubberygaspingmoaningplaintfulred-rimmed

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivedemanding attention

Similar
clamantexigentinsistentinstantimperative

adjectiveconspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible

Similar
egregiousflagrantglaringgrossrankconspicuous

nounthe process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)

Similar
weepingtears
Broader
bodily processbody processbodily function
Also see
badclamantconspicuousdeaddireegregiousexigentflagrantglaringgrossimperativeinsistentinstantin tearsranksobbingsobfultearfultearsurgentweeping

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From cry + -ing.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek κλαυθμός
  • κλαυθμός (klauthmós)action of the verb cry
Arabic بَاكٍ, بُكَاء
  • بَاكٍ (bākin)that cries
  • بُكَاء (bukāʔ)action of the verb cry
Bulgarian плач
  • плач (plač)action of the verb cry
Catalan plor
  • ploraction of the verb cry
Czech pláč
  • pláčaction of the verb cry
Danish gråd
  • grådaction of the verb cry
Dutch huilen
  • huilenaction of the verb cry
Finnish itkeminen
  • itkeminenaction of the verb cry
French pleur
  • pleuraction of the verb cry
German Weinen
  • Weinenaction of the verb cry
Hungarian sírás
  • sírásaction of the verb cry
Indonesian tangisan
  • tangisanaction of the verb cry
Italian pianto
  • piantoaction of the verb cry
Latin flētus
  • flētusaction of the verb cry
Malay tangisan
  • tangisanaction of the verb cry
Norwegian Bokmål gråt
  • gråtaction of the verb cry
Polish płacz
  • płaczaction of the verb cry
Portuguese choro
  • choroaction of the verb cry
Russian пла́чущий, плач
  • пла́чущий (pláčuščij)that cries
  • плач (plač)action of the verb cry
Slovak plač
  • plačaction of the verb cry
Spanish llanto
  • llantoaction of the verb cry
Swedish gråt
  • gråtaction of the verb cry
Tamil அழும், அழுகை
  • அழும் (aḻum)that cries
  • அழுகை (aḻukai)action of the verb cry
Turkish ağlama
  • ağlamaaction of the verb cry
Ukrainian плач
  • плач (plač)action of the verb cry

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with crying

tryingbuyingflyingapplyingdyinglyingdryingdenyingspyingtyingcomplyingimplyingfryingdyeingdefyingvyingundyingpryingsighingplyingscryingdecryingretryinguntying
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

crying. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crying

MLA

“crying.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crying. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “crying,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crying.

Source: crying on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.