cry out involuntarily; choke with grief; lose one's voice
Meanings
3 senses · 9 examplesverb
to cry out involuntarily; to burst out (laughing, shouting, etc.)
Describes an uncontrollable vocal reaction to surprise, shock, or strong emotion.
She screamed involuntarily in fright.
Hearing the joke, he burst out laughing.
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Seeing that horrifying scene, she couldn't help crying out.
verb
to be choked with grief; to lose one's voice from weeping excessively
Commonly used in the phrase 失声痛哭 (to cry one's heart out).
Hearing the bad news, she broke down in tears.
The old man was overcome with grief and almost lost his voice.
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She cried as if her heart would break, finally sobbing voicelessly.
verb
to lose one's voice; to become aphonic or hoarse (due to illness)
technicalA medical term referring to voice disorders caused by laryngeal or vocal cord pathology; also called 失音 (shī yīn).
He lost his voice after catching a cold and couldn't speak.
This singer was forced to rest with aphonia due to vocal cord nodules.
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Severe laryngitis can lead to temporary loss of voice.