What does outcry mean?
Word: Outcry
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Outcry means a strong public show of anger or complaint about something.
Synonyms: uproar, outrage, clamour
How do you spell outcry?
Syllables: out - cry
Tricky part: It is a single word with no hyphen. In the plural, the y changes to ies: outcries.
Watch out for: outcri, outcrie
Memory tip: Keep it in one piece, like the single loud voice of an angry crowd; in the plural, change y to ies, as in skies.
Outcry in a sentence
Example 1: There was a public outcry when the old banyan tree was cut down.
Example 2: The plan to raise bus fares led to an outcry from students.
Example 3: The outcry from parents made the school change the exam date.
Fun Fact
Outcry is one of many English nouns made by putting out in front of a verb or noun, along with outbreak, outburst and outcome.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Only one of these compound words is misspelt. Choose it:
a) eyesoar
b) landslide
c) fireworks
d) outcry
Show answer
a) eyesoar. An eyesore is something that is sore to look at, so its second part is sore; outcry, landslide and fireworks are correct.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word outcry as used in the sentence:
The plan to close the village school led to an outcry from every family.
a) protest
b) celebration
c) agreement
d) silence
Show answer
a) protest. Families who cry out against a plan are making a protest.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
The ctroyu over the polluted lake was so loud that it reached the state assembly.
a) outcry
b) outcrop
c) outcast
d) outcome
Show answer
a) outcry. The jumble has only six letters and a y; outcome, outcast and outcrop all have seven and no y.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
o_tc_y
a) u, r
b) w, r
c) u, l
d) a, r
Show answer
a) u, r. Out opens with ou, as it does in outside, and cry needs its r.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. An outcry is usually ____.
a) short and happy
b) secret and planned
c) quiet and private
d) loud and public
Show answer
d) loud and public
2. Which event would most likely cause a public outcry?
a) a concert going off smoothly
b) a school team winning a quiz
c) a new library opening its doors
d) a park sold off to build a mall
Show answer
d) a park sold off to build a mall
