What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Cry vs Dry - What's the difference?

cry | dry |

As a verb cry

is to shed tears; to weep.

As a noun cry

is a shedding of tears; the act of crying.

As an acronym dry is

(computing).

cry

English

Verb

(en-verb)
  • To shed tears; to weep.
  • That sad movie always makes me cry .
  • To utter loudly; to call out; to declare publicly.
  • * Shakespeare
  • All, all, cry shame against ye, yet I'll speak.
  • * Bunyan
  • The man ran on, crying , Life! life! Eternal life!
  • (ambitransitive) To shout, scream, yell.
  • * Bible, Matthew xxvii. 46
  • And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice.
  • To utter inarticulate sounds, as animals do.
  • * Bible, Psalms cxlvii. 9
  • the young ravens which cry
  • * Shakespeare
  • In a cowslip's bell I lie / There I couch when owls do cry .
  • To cause to do something, or bring to some state, by crying or weeping.
  • to cry oneself to sleep
  • To make oral and public proclamation of; to notify or advertise by outcry, especially things lost or found, goods to be sold, etc.
  • to cry goods
  • * Crashaw
  • Love is lost, and thus she cries him.
  • Hence, to publish the banns of, as for marriage.
  • * Judd
  • I should not be surprised if they were cried in church next Sabbath.

    Synonyms

    * weep * See also * See also

    Antonyms

    * laugh

    Derived terms

    * crybaby * cry in one's beer * cry like a baby * cry one's eyes out * cry off * cry out * cry someone a river * cry the blues * cry wolf * don't cry over spilt milk * kiss and cry

    Noun

    (cries)
  • A shedding of tears; the act of crying.
  • After we broke up, I retreated to my room for a good cry .
  • A shout or scream.
  • I heard a cry from afar.
  • Words shouted or screamed.
  • a battle cry
  • (collectively) A group of hounds.
  • * Shakespeare
  • A cry more tunable / Was never hollaed to, nor cheered with horn.
    (Milton)
  • (obsolete, derogatory) A pack or company of people.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Would not this get me a fellowship in a cry of players?
  • (ambitransitive, of an animal) A typical sound made by the species in question.
  • "Woof" is the cry of a dog, while "neigh" is the cry of a horse.
  • A desperate or urgent request.
  • (obsolete) Common report; gossip.
  • * Shakespeare
  • The cry goes that you shall marry her.

    Derived terms

    * battle cry * hue and cry * war cry

    See also

    * breastfeeding * crocodile tears

    References

    * * *

    Statistics

    *

    dry

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) drye, drie, dri, drige, dryge, . See also (l), (l), (l).

    Alternative forms

    * (l) (obsolete)

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Free from liquid or moisture.
  • * Addison
  • The weather, we agreed, was too dry for the season.
  • * Prescott
  • Not a dry eye was to be seen in the assembly.
  • (chemistry) Free of water in any state; anhydrous.
  • Thirsty; needing drink.
  • * (William Shakespeare)
  • Give the dry fool drink.
  • (of an alcoholic beverage) Lacking sugar or low in sugar; not sweet.
  • Maintaining temperance; void or abstinent from alcoholic beverages.
  • (of a person or joke) Subtly humorous, yet without mirth.
  • * (Washington Irving)
  • He was rather a dry , shrewd kind of body.
  • (of a scientist or his laboratory) Not working with chemical or biological matter, but, rather, doing computations.
  • (masonry) Built without mortar; dry-stone.
  • *
  • (of animals) Not giving milk.
  • Lacking interest or amusement; barren; unembellished.
  • * (Alexander Pope)
  • These epistles will become less dry , more susceptible of ornament.
  • (fine arts) Exhibiting a sharp, frigid preciseness of execution, or lacking delicate contours and soft transitions of colour.
  • Synonyms
    * (free from liquid or moisture) arid, parched
    Antonyms
    * (free from liquid or moisture) wet * (abstinent from alcohol) wet * wet
    Derived terms
    * bone dry * dry as a bone * dry as a dead dingo’s donger * dry cough * dry hole * dry ice * drily * dry run * dryly * dryness * dry spell * drywall * dry weight * like watching paint dry

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl)

    Verb

  • To lose moisture.
  • The clothes dried on the line.
  • To remove moisture from.
  • Devin dried her eyes with a handkerchief.
  • (ambitransitive, figurative) To cease or cause to cease.
  • Their sources of income dried up.
    The stream of chatter dried up.
    Derived terms
    * drier * dryer * dry out * dry up * nondrying
    See also
    * desiccant * desiccate * desiccation