crybaby
UK[ˈkraɪbeɪbi]US[ˈkraɪbeɪbi]
n
a person, especially a child, who cries easily or complains a lot
n
a person who is overly sensitive or quick to express distress or grievance
Morpheme Breakdown
cry
baby
cry
to weep, shout
baby
a very young child
Etymology
the compound noun 'crybaby' is a transparent formation from two english roots. the first element, 'cry', has an ancient lineage, likely originating as an onomatopoeic imitation of a shout or wail, which passed into english via old french. the second element, 'baby', is also imitative, stemming from the reduplicated babbling sounds of infants. when combined in the 19th century, the term created a vivid, slightly pejorative metaphor: likening someone who complains or weeps frequently to an infant who cries as its primary form of communication. the logic is directly comparative, drawing on the universal association between babies and uninhibited crying to critique perceived childishness or lack of emotional resilience in an older child or adult.
Analysis
Structure: cry + baby
cry: from middle english 'crien', from old french 'crier', ultimately of imitative origin. functions as the verb root meaning "to weep, shout".
baby: from middle english 'babi', imitative of infant speech. functions as the noun root meaning "a very young child".
Examples
don't be such a crybaby just because you lost the game.
the political opponent was dismissed as a crybaby for constantly protesting the media coverage.
she was often called a crybaby in school for getting upset over small criticisms.