What’s the Big Deal About Cry and Cried?

Charles Dickens, in the persona of Mr. Bumble, said that crying “opens the lungs, washes the countenance, exercises the eyes, and softens down the temper.” Emotion should play a significant role in prose and poetry. Crying provides an excellent opportunity for that.

However, cried can turn into a repetition that makes readers cry because they’re tired of seeing it.

Instead of Making Your Characters Cry, Show Their Emotions

A character might shed tears for many reasons:

anguish, anxiety, defeat, denial, depression, desperation, embarrassment, guilt, humiliation, irritation, loneliness, pain, panic, pride (in someone else), rage, regret, relief, sadness, shame, sympathy

Here are just a few of the ways you could show these emotions.

Anguish

• sweating
• trembling
• cords standing out on neck
• clenching one’s jaw or grinding one’s teeth

Anxiety

• fidgeting
• wringing one’s hands
• rapid, shallow breathing
• clenching one’s interwoven fingers

Defeat

• lack of eye contact
• slumped posture
• toneless dialogue
• trembling chin

Denial

• elevated eyebrows
• raised voice
• rapid speech
• wide eyes

Depression

• head in one’s hands
• hunched shoulders
• shuffling feet, hands in one’s pockets
• lowered head, with gaze on ground or one’s toes

Desperation

• biting one’s bottom lip
• darting gaze
• pacing
• tugging at one’s hair

Embarrassment

• coughing
• excessive swallowing
• tugging at one’s clothing
• wincing

Guilt

• cracking voice
• grimacing
• biting one’s lip
• a quivering chin

Humiliation

• blushing
• bowing one’s head
• hiding one’s face
• hugging oneself

Irritation

• cursing
• stomping
• snorting or sneering
• ill-considered dialogue

Loneliness

• monotone voice
• talking to oneself
• watching sad movies or TV series
• excessive time on internet or playing video games

Pain

• flinching
• grimacing
• clutching the painful area
• writhing or bending over

Panic

• incoherence
• rasping breaths
• squeezing one’s eyes shut
• flinching at unexpected sounds

Pride (in someone else)

• elevated chin
• gleam in one’s eyes
• pointing at the object of one’s pride
• discussing the accomplishment with someone

Rage

• crossed-arm stance
• flared nostrils
• puckered forehead
• physical or verbal attacks

Regret

• downturned lips
• frail voice
• attempting to explain or apologize
• trying to right the wrong that caused the regret

Relief

• hesitant laughter
• huge exhalation
• relaxing one’s posture, especially the shoulders
• gazing up and pressing one’s palms together in a praying gesture

Sadness

• puffy face or eyes
• runny makeup
• snot on upper lip or mustache
• swiping at one’s nose with tissue

Shame

• flushed cheeks
• moaning
• vibrating chin
• poor personal grooming

Sympathy

• at a loss for words
• sad smile
• verbal offer of assistance
• murmuring optimistic platitudes in a soothing tone

For additional beats, consult a body language dictionary. (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

If You Have Room, Try Showing Instead of Telling

With the suggestions in the previous section, we can eliminate cried in a few examples. Feel free to snag them as story prompts.

Example #1

Jenna cried loudly.

Why?

Jenna’s chin vibrated. “I’m so sorry,” she said with a loud moan.

Having Jenna cry loudly tells us something but provides no visuals. The second sentence gives an instant mental image and lets us know, with both her words and her body language, that she’s crying to express shame.

Example #2

When I telephoned David, he cried.

Why? If we want to maintain strict point of view, this scenario leaves no room for David’s body language — the narrator can’t see his reaction. However, the writer can relay any sounds David makes.

When I telephoned David, I heard nothing on the other end of the buzzing line. For a moment, I thought he had hung up on me. Then hesitant laughter rumbled above the static. “Thank God you’re safe,” he said.

Same situation. Added details and drama. Readers will know David is relieved.

Example #3

Justin cried during the medal awards ceremony.

Was Justin crying tears of relief? Was he sad because he didn’t receive an award?

Justin’s six-year-old daughter marched onto the stage to receive her medal of bravery. He leaned toward the stranger sitting on his left. “Y’know, she just about lost her own life rescuing that little boy.”

With a few more details, we learn how Justin’s daughter earned her medal, and that he’s proud of her.

Example #4

The baby cried at the drop of a hat.

This sentence provides no reason for the crying, and at the drop of a hat is cliché. Can we provide a reason for the baby’s crying? Panic, perhaps, or pain?

Several times hourly, the baby screamed and beat at its tummy with its tiny fists.

Pain is the motivation.

What about panic?

Every time the phone rang or a door slammed, the baby flinched and wailed.

I took wailed from the word list below and combined it with body language to provide a more vivid description.

Animals Cry Too

We can compare cries to sounds such as yowling and mewling. These types of words function particularly well when the sounds match the descriptions of our characters.

A professor who has large owl-like eyes might hoot when she cries.

A donkey-faced construction worker might bray.

Bullies who pursue their prey like a pack of dogs might yelp when their victim turns on them to defend himself.

See also 300+ Onomatopoeic Sound Words for more ideas.

Exercises and Story Prompts

Try to eliminate cried from each of the following examples.

#1.

Sushi cried and barked in the kitchen. Bob rolled over in bed to peer at the clock: 3:07 a.m.

“Three times in less than an hour,” he muttered as he threw on his robe and lumbered out of the bedroom. “For cryin’ out loud, what’s got into you, dog?”

A thunderous pounding on the back door vibrated the windows.

The hairs on the back of Bob’s neck bristled.

#2.

Tammy cried and pushed Ansel away. “You don’t understand,” she said. “I want out. Now.”

He grabbed a pillow off the bed. “You want out?”

She staggered backward, her retreat thwarted by the wall.

Ansel stalked toward her, pillow clutched in his hammy fists.

#3.

Heath Stoltz cried as his granddaughter Emily glided down the aisle toward her groom, Gardner Wheaton. Why hadn’t Heath told her the truth about Gardner? Would she have agreed to marry him if she had known?

Direct Replacements for Cried

A to D

agonized, anguished, bawled, bayed, beat one’s breast, bemoaned, bewailed, bleated, boo-hooed, blubbed, blubbered, broke down, burst into tears, caterwauled, despaired, dripped tears

G to R

grieved, grizzled, groaned, hooted, howled, keened, lamented, mewled, moaned, moped, mourned, nose bubbled, pined, puled, rained teardrops

S to U

screamed, shed tears, shrieked, shrilled, sniffled, sniveled, snuffled, sobbed, sorrowed, squalled, squealed, turned on the tears, ululated

W to Y

wailed, wauled, wawled, wept, whimpered, whined, whooped, wrawled, wauped, yawled, yawped, yelped, yipped, yowled