noun
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a widespread or vehement protest
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clamour; uproar
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commerce a method of trading in which dealers shout out bids and offers at a prearranged meeting
sale by open outcry
verb
Etymology
Origin of outcry
Explanation
An outcry is an outburst or shout — either by one person, or by a group of people. Faced with the outcry of three kids under the age of ten, a frustrated babysitter may give in, letting them stay up past bedtime. When a teacher promises his class a pizza party at the end of the week, he can expect an outcry if the pizzas don't show up on Friday. This kind of outcry is a form of protest, a group of angry or passionate people raising their voices together. The older, fourteenth century meaning of outcry is simply "crying out." The "public protest" meaning was first used around 1910.
Vocabulary lists containing outcry
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By the Great Horn Spoon!
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The city initially removed the markings, citing accessibility requirements, before later reversing course and installing permanent crosswalks following public outcry.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
The decision triggered an outcry, even within his own party.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026
A plan to build housing for 1,200 foreign workers that was approved last autumn sparked outcry among locals.
From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026
It backed down after a public outcry and also because mass layoffs at the Department of Education likely left the agency without the resources to collect the debts.
From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026
When it was announced that John Glenn would return to space as a payload specialist in 1998, an outcry arose.
From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
