cry down

cry down

1. To deride or mistreat someone or something. If you want to keep your friends, don't cry down to people just because you're rich and famous now. A: "As predicted, the boss cried down to me for losing that big account." B: "I know, I could hear him yelling all the way over here." Aw man, Coach will definitely cry down to us if he finds out we were involved with that stupid prank.

2. To overshadow or silence someone or something by making more noise than that person or thing. The dictator vowed to cry down the protests. Everyone in the meeting cried down his stupid proposal. There are a vocal minority on here who will cry down dissenting opinions, unfortunately.

See also: cry, down

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

cry down

v.

To belittle or disparage someone or something: The rowdy children cried down anyone who attempted to quiet them. The opposition cried us down at every opportunity.

See also: cry, down

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.