Meaning: cry

Illustrative Context

She was crying when I saw her.

Disambiguation

• Beware the ambiguity of the English lexeme cry. The sense targeted here is the basic meaning of the bare root cry in modern spoken English, i.e. cry as shed tears.
• Do not consider the sense of cry (out) as shout. Usage of the bare root cry — i.e. unsupported by out, aloud, etc. — is increasingly rare in this sense, except in the written register.

Target Sense

• The most generic verb for people shedding tears.
• By default the context will be one of strong emotion, prototypically sadness but also pain or joy.
• Avoid terms for accompanying emotions but which do not specifically mean shedding tears, e.g. lament, bewail.
• Avoid terms, if different, simply for physiological reactions of the eye, unconnected with emotion, e.g. eyes watering.