1 B1 idiomatic neutral
To cry until a negative emotion has been fully expressed and released, leaving one feeling calmer.
"She locked herself in the bathroom and cried it out before facing the rest of the day."
mixed
cry it out
B1 neutral mixed intransitive
To cry until the emotion is fully released and you feel better; also used for a baby sleep training method where a baby is left to cry until it falls asleep.
In plain English
To cry until you feel better, or (for a baby) to be left to cry until it falls asleep on its own.
What does "cry it out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
(Parenting) A sleep training method where a baby is left to cry without being immediately comforted, so that it learns to fall asleep independently.
"Their pediatrician suggested letting the baby cry it out, but they found it too difficult to ignore her cries."
mixed
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To cry something ('it' = the emotion or distress) out of your system.
Actually means
To cry until you feel better, or (for a baby) to be left to cry until it falls asleep on its own.
Usage tip
Used in two main contexts: (1) for adults, to release grief or sadness by crying fully; (2) in parenting, a sleep training method (also called the 'Ferber method' or 'CIO method') where parents let a baby cry until it self-soothes and falls asleep. The parenting sense is much discussed and can be controversial.
Words that pair with "cry it out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
grief sadness baby sleep training feelings emotion
How to conjugate "cry it out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
cry it out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
cries it out
he/she/it
Past simple
cried it out
yesterday
Past participle
cried it out
have + pp
-ing form
crying it out
continuous
Hear "cry it out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "cry it out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "cry it out"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
have a good cry let it out release it self-soothe weep it out
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