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Meaning & use

a cry for help

phrase·Everyday

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UK/ə ˌkraɪ fə ˈhelp/
US/ə ˌkraɪ fər ˈhelp/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phrase

    Words or actions that show someone is in distress and wants attention, sympathy, or rescue.

    Grammar: Used as a countable noun phrase: you can say 'a cry for help' or 'cries for help'.

    Patterns

    • be a cry for help
    • see something as a cry for help
    • a cry for help from someone

    Her sudden silence was a cry for help that nobody noticed.

    Teachers are trained to treat a dramatic drop in grades as a possible cry for help.

    The note he left behind read less like a threat and more like a cry for help.

  2. phrasefixed phrasefigurative

    A public statement or action intended to attract attention to a serious problem and get assistance.

    Grammar: Often used with verbs like 'issue', 'send', or 'hear' when the appeal is public.

    Patterns

    • issue a cry for help
    • a cry for help to someone
    • a desperate cry for help

    The mayor's speech was a cry for help to the state government after the floods.

    Their report is a cry for help on behalf of the region's small farmers.

Word forms

pluralcries for help

Common combinations

a desperate cry for help
The charity described the letter as a desperate cry for help.
interpret something as a cry for help
The police interpreted the graffiti as a cry for help from a frightened teenager.
a cry for help from someone
It was a cry for help from a student who felt completely alone.
dismiss something as a cry for help
Doctors should never dismiss these symptoms as just a cry for help.
a cry for help goes unheard
Too often, a cry for help goes unheard until it is too late.

Synonyms and how they differ

plea
A plea is a direct, often formal request for something; a cry for help is usually indirect behavior that reveals distress.
appeal
An appeal is aimed at persuading people to act or give; a cry for help focuses on the person's own suffering.

Word family

cry out for something phrasal verb
To ask loudly and urgently for something you need.

Commonly confused: a cry for help or cry for help?

a cry for help vs cry for help

Without 'a', this sounds like a literal shout; the fixed phrase normally keeps the article: 'a cry for help'.

Practice

After his grades fell and he stopped speaking to friends, his teacher saw the change as ______.

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