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Cry vs Pry - What's the difference?

cry | pry |

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 adverb pry is

allegedly.

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

    *

    Anagrams

    * English intransitive verbs English reporting verbs English transitive verbs 1000 English basic words ----

    pry

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) pryen, . More at (l).

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • To look where one is not welcome; to be nosey.
  • To look closely and curiously at.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Watch thou and wake when others be asleep, / To pry into the secrets of the state.

    Noun

  • The act of prying
  • An excessively inquisitive person

    • Etymology 2

    1800, ("lever"), construed as a plural noun or as a 3rd person singular verb.

    Noun

    (pries)
  • A lever.
  • Leverage.

    • Verb

    (en-verb)
  • To use leverage to open or widen. (See also prise and prize.)