Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

cry someone a river

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.43 in modern English

Syllables: cry -some-one a riv-er
IPA

26

Scrabble Score

16

Letters

4

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To weep profusely or excessively in the presence of another person.

verb

To try to obtain the sympathy of another person by complaining or sniveling.

Example Sentences

"It is rather shaming to be quite so wet over nothing in particular, but at least Fielding does it too. He cries gallons over slow-motion bits at the ends of films, especially Gladiator, and begins to worship Roman values, then Italian footballers kissing in slo-mo to the strains of Nessun Dorma. Sniffle, sniffle. And QPR being relegated in 1996. He can cry you a river over that one, and over a darling little clump of daffodils growing by the traffic island."
"Port Authority Transit should cry me a river. Before raising fares it should cut an unnecessary expense."

Etymology

Probably from the song Cry Me a River (1953).

Inflected Forms

cries someone a river (present, singular) crying someone a river (participle, present) cried someone a river (participle, past) cried someone a river (past)

Phrases

build a bridge and get over it Crimea river crocodile tear crocodile tears crying game

Frequently Paired Words

build a bridge and get over it Crimea river crocodile tear crocodile tears crying game

Questions

What does cry someone a river mean?: To weep profusely or excessively in the presence of another person.
Where does cry someone a river come from?: Probably from the song Cry Me a River (1953).

How to pronounce cry someone a river

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