cry down: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2 (low to moderate frequency, literary or formal contexts)Formal, literary, somewhat archaic; occasionally journalistic.
Quick answer
What does “cry down” mean?
To disparage, belittle, or speak critically of someone or something.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To disparage, belittle, or speak critically of someone or something; to publicly express disapproval or reduce in reputation.
To deliberately devalue or undermine the worth, status, or achievements of a person, idea, or product through negative speech or argument.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Equally rare in both variants; slightly more likely to be encountered in older British literary texts.
Connotations
Carries a connotation of deliberate, perhaps envious, disparagement. In both varieties, it sounds somewhat dated.
Frequency
Very low frequency in modern corpora. 'Run down', 'put down', 'criticize', or 'disparage' are far more common.
Grammar
How to Use “cry down” in a Sentence
[Subject] cries down [Object]It is not productive to cry down [Object].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cry down” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The old guard would always cry down any innovative proposal.
- It's ungracious to cry down the efforts of the volunteers.
American English
- His opponents constantly cried down his economic plan in the press.
- Rather than cry down the idea, try to improve it.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Now obsolete. Historical: 'Competitors would often cry down the new product's reliability.'
Academic
Rare. Might appear in historical or literary analysis: 'The critic sought to cry down the Romantic movement.'
Everyday
Extremely rare. Would be understood but sound old-fashioned.
Technical
Not used.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cry down”
- Using 'cry down' in modern, informal speech.
- Incorrect word order: 'He cried his opponent down' (acceptable but less common).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is considered quite rare and somewhat archaic. More common synonyms like 'criticize', 'disparage', or 'run down' are preferred.
Yes, it is a separable phrasal verb (e.g., 'He cried the idea down'), but the non-separated form is more frequent.
The direct but equally rare opposite is 'cry up', meaning to praise or extol. Common opposites are 'praise', 'laud', or 'acclaim'.
It is formal or literary. Using it in casual conversation would sound odd and outdated.
To disparage, belittle, or speak critically of someone or something.
Cry down: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkraɪ ˈdaʊn/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkraɪ ˈdaʊn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None directly. Related to 'cry up' (to praise loudly).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a crowd CRYing out DOWN from a hill, shouting to drown out and diminish the speaker below.
Conceptual Metaphor
CRITICISM IS A LOUD, PUBLIC SHOUT (that pushes something down in value/status).
Practice
Quiz
What is the closest meaning of 'cry down' in the sentence: 'The critic's sole purpose was to cry down the new novel.'?