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Definition

Acting out as a means of displaying a subconscious desire for attention or help.

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In Context

  • "In her second year at the school Alexis stopped doing her homework and would often scribble on walls. Her teachers wondered whether this was a cry for help, or if she was simply misbehaving."
  • "Tucker Carlson (also a jacket and tie guy) picked up on the hoo-ha on his Fox News show, calling the hoodie-jacket combination a “cry for help” and inviting Roger Stone, the disgraced former political operative and author of his own “Best and Worst dressed List,” to comment."
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Related Idioms

c

cry wolf

To raise a false alarm; to constantly warn others about an imagined th…

 c

cry over spilt milk

To worry about unfortunate events which have already happened and whic…

 c

cry one's eyes out

To weep for an elongated time, or in an excessive manner.

 c

cry all the way to the bank

To be happy due to the receipt of money, but sad about the cause.

 c

cry someone a river

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

 c

cry the blues

To complain, especially in order to obtain sympathy for one's own purp…
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