1 B2 idiomatic neutral
To be in obvious and urgent need of something; to require something desperately.
"This city's public transport system is crying out for investment and modernization."
inseparable
cry out for
B2 neutral inseparable transitive
To be in urgent, obvious need of something; to desperately require something.
In plain English
When something or someone really, really needs something — it's obvious and urgent.
What does "cry out for" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
Of a person: to urgently call or appeal for help, attention, or a specific thing.
"The survivors on the raft cried out for water as the rescue boat approached."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To cry out (shout) while reaching for something urgently needed.
Actually means
When something or someone really, really needs something — it's obvious and urgent.
Usage tip
Often used with an inanimate subject and an abstract object ('the situation cries out for reform'). This figurative sense is more common than the literal sense of physically crying out in need. Very effective for rhetorical or journalistic writing.
Words that pair with "cry out for"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
reform attention change help justice explanation
How to conjugate "cry out for"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
cry out for
I/you/we/they
3rd person
cries out for
he/she/it
Past simple
cried out for
yesterday
Past participle
cried out for
have + pp
-ing form
crying out for
continuous
Hear "cry out for" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "cry out for" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "cry out for"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.