Idioms add a splash of color to our language, transforming simple words into vivid expressions that capture emotions in unique ways. They often don’t mean exactly what they say, but they paint a picture that makes conversations more engaging and relatable. For anyone looking to dive deeper into expressing emotions, especially the universal experience of crying, idioms offer a creative way to convey feelings of sadness, joy, frustration, or relief. These phrases are woven into everyday speech, making them both practical and fascinating to learn.
Crying-related idioms are particularly powerful because they reflect the raw, human experience of emotion. Whether it’s shedding tears of sorrow or bursting into tears of happiness, these expressions help us articulate complex feelings. In this article, you’ll discover 60 idioms about crying, their meanings, and how to use them in sentences. Plus, there’s a fun exercise to test your understanding and help you incorporate these idioms into your vocabulary. Let’s dive into the tearful, yet expressive, world of crying idioms!
Idioms for Crying
1. Cry your eyes out
Meaning: To cry intensely for a long time.
In a Sentence: After her favorite character died in the movie, she cried her eyes out for hours.
Other Ways to Say: Sob uncontrollably, Weep buckets
2. Burst into tears
Meaning: To suddenly start crying.
In a Sentence: When she heard the news about her best friend moving away, she burst into tears in the middle of class.
Other Ways to Say: Break down crying, Start sobbing
3. Shed a tear
Meaning: To cry lightly or briefly.
In a Sentence: He shed a tear during the heartfelt speech at his sister’s wedding.
Other Ways to Say: Get teary-eyed, Let a tear fall
4. Turn on the waterworks
Meaning: To start crying, often dramatically or intentionally.
In a Sentence: She turned on the waterworks to convince her parents to let her go to the concert.
Other Ways to Say: Start crying dramatically, Put on a tearful show
5. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: To be upset about something that cannot be changed.
In a Sentence: There’s no point crying over spilled milk when you miss a deadline; just focus on the next task.
Other Ways to Say: Fret over the past, Regret what’s done
6. Tears of joy
Meaning: Crying because of happiness.
In a Sentence: When she got accepted into her dream college, she shed tears of joy in front of her family.
Other Ways to Say: Happy tears, Emotional joy
7. Cry a river
Meaning: To cry excessively or for a long time.
In a Sentence: After her breakup, she cried a river, but her friends helped her feel better.
Other Ways to Say: Weep endlessly, Sob your heart out
8. Crocodile tears
Meaning: Fake or insincere crying to gain sympathy.
In a Sentence: He shed crocodile tears to avoid getting in trouble, but no one believed him.
Other Ways to Say: Fake tears, Crocodile’s weep
9. Get all choked up
Meaning: To become emotional and struggle to speak due to crying.
In a Sentence: During her speech about her late grandmother, she got all choked up and had to pause.
Other Ways to Say: Get emotional, Feel teary
10. Cry like a baby
Meaning: To cry loudly and uncontrollably.
In a Sentence: When he lost his favorite toy, he cried like a baby until his mom comforted him.
Other Ways to Say: Wail loudly, Sob uncontrollably
11. Weep buckets
Meaning: To cry a lot, producing many tears.
In a Sentence: She wept buckets when she had to say goodbye to her childhood pet.
Other Ways to Say: Cry a ton, Shed gallons of tears
12. Break down in tears
Meaning: To suddenly start crying due to overwhelming emotions.
In a Sentence: When she saw her long-lost friend at the airport, she broke down in tears of happiness.
Other Ways to Say: Burst into tears, Collapse crying
13. Have a good cry
Meaning: To cry as a way to release emotions.
In a Sentence: After a tough week, she locked herself in her room and had a good cry to feel better.
Other Ways to Say: Let it all out, Release tears
14. Cry on someone’s shoulder
Meaning: To seek comfort from someone while crying.
In a Sentence: When she failed her exam, she cried on her best friend’s shoulder for support.
Other Ways to Say: Seek comfort, Lean on someone
15. Tear up
Meaning: To start to cry or get emotional.
In a Sentence: Watching the old family videos made her tear up with nostalgia.
Other Ways to Say: Get teary, Well up
16. Well up
Meaning: To have tears form in your eyes without fully crying.
In a Sentence: Her eyes welled up when her teacher praised her hard work in front of the class.
Other Ways to Say: Get misty-eyed, Tear up
17. Sob your heart out
Meaning: To cry very emotionally and intensely.
In a Sentence: After hearing about the tragedy, she sobbed her heart out all evening.
Other Ways to Say: Cry deeply, Weep passionately
18. Cry wolf
Meaning: To raise a false alarm, often repeatedly, so people stop believing you.
In a Sentence: He kept crying wolf about being sick, so no one took him seriously when he was actually ill.
Other Ways to Say: False alarm, Exaggerate distress
19. Cry foul
Meaning: To protest or complain about something unfair.
In a Sentence: She cried foul when the referee made a bad call during the game.
Other Ways to Say: Call out unfairness, Protest loudly
20. Drown in tears
Meaning: To be overwhelmed by crying or sadness.
In a Sentence: After losing the championship, the team felt like they were drowning in tears.
Other Ways to Say: Overwhelmed by tears, Consumed by sadness
21. Cry into your beer
Meaning: To feel sorry for yourself while drinking.
In a Sentence: He sat at the bar, crying into his beer after a rough day at work.
Other Ways to Say: Wallow in self-pity, Mope over drinks
22. Cry me a river
Meaning: A sarcastic way to say someone’s crying is excessive or unwarranted.
In a Sentence: You’re upset about a small scratch on your phone? Cry me a river!
Other Ways to Say: Get over it, Stop whining
23. Tears streaming down
Meaning: To cry so much that tears flow heavily.
In a Sentence: With tears streaming down her face, she accepted the award with gratitude.
Other Ways to Say: Tears flowing, Crying heavily
24. Cry at the drop of a hat
Meaning: To cry easily or for little reason.
In a Sentence: She cries at the drop of a hat whenever she watches a sad commercial.
Other Ways to Say: Cry easily, Be overly emotional
25. Cry buckets
Meaning: To cry a large amount.
In a Sentence: When her favorite show ended, she cried buckets for days.
Other Ways to Say: Weep buckets, Shed lots of tears
26. Blubber like a whale
Meaning: To cry loudly and uncontrollably.
In a Sentence: He blubbered like a whale when he didn’t get the role in the school play.
Other Ways to Say: Sob loudly, Cry uncontrollably
27. Cry your heart out
Meaning: To cry with great emotion or sadness.
In a Sentence: She cried her heart out after hearing the news about her friend’s illness.
Other Ways to Say: Sob deeply, Weep intensely
28. Get teary-eyed
Meaning: To have tears in your eyes due to emotion.
In a Sentence: He got teary-eyed when his coach gave him a heartfelt pep talk.
Other Ways to Say: Well up, Tear up
29. Cry over nothing
Meaning: To cry for no significant reason.
In a Sentence: She cried over nothing when her pencil broke during the exam.
Other Ways to Say: Overreact emotionally, Cry for no reason
30. Bawling your eyes out
Meaning: To cry loudly and for a long time.
In a Sentence: After losing his favorite game, he was bawling his eyes out in his room.
Other Ways to Say: Crying hard, Sobbing loudly
31. In floods of tears
Meaning: To cry uncontrollably and heavily.
In a Sentence: She was in floods of tears when she had to leave her hometown for good.
Other Ways to Say: Crying buckets, Overwhelmed with tears
32. Cry like there’s no tomorrow
Meaning: To cry as if it’s the end of the world.
In a Sentence: When her dog ran away, she cried like there was no tomorrow.
Other Ways to Say: Cry desperately, Sob endlessly
33. Weep like a willow
Meaning: To cry sadly and continuously, like a drooping willow tree.
In a Sentence: She wept like a willow after her best friend moved to another country.
Other Ways to Say: Cry mournfully, Sob softly
34. Cry until the cows come home
Meaning: To cry for a very long time.
In a Sentence: He could cry until the cows come home, but it won’t change the test results.
Other Ways to Say: Cry endlessly, Weep forever
35. Cry the blues
Meaning: To express sadness or complaints.
In a Sentence: She was crying the blues about how tough her new job was.
Other Ways to Say: Complain sadly, Moan about troubles
36. Let it all out
Meaning: To release emotions by crying freely.
In a Sentence: After keeping it in for weeks, she finally let it all out and cried in her room.
Other Ways to Say: Have a good cry, Release emotions
37. Cry your guts out
Meaning: To cry with intense emotion or pain.
In a Sentence: When she heard about the accident, she cried her guts out in disbelief.
Other Ways to Say: Sob intensely, Weep deeply
38. Cry in your soup
Meaning: To feel sorry for yourself in a self-pitying way.
In a Sentence: Stop crying in your soup about missing the party; there’ll be another one soon.
Other Ways to Say: Wallow in self-pity, Mope sadly
39. Cry yourself to sleep
Meaning: To cry until you fall asleep.
In a Sentence: After the argument with her friend, she cried herself to sleep that night.
Other Ways to Say: Sob to sleep, Weep until asleep
40. Cry over spilt milk
Meaning: To regret something that cannot be undone (variant of spilled milk).
In a Sentence: There’s no use crying over spilt milk when you lose a game; just practice harder.
Other Ways to Say: Regret the past, Fret over what’s done
41. Cry to high heaven
Meaning: To cry or complain loudly and publicly.
In a Sentence: She cried to high heaven when she didn’t get the promotion she wanted.
Other Ways to Say: Protest loudly, Complain vigorously
42. Cry out loud
Meaning: To cry audibly, often with wails or sobs.
In a Sentence: When her team lost the match, she cried out loud in disappointment.
Other Ways to Say: Wail aloud, Sob loudly
43. Cry buckets of tears
Meaning: To cry a lot, producing many tears.
In a Sentence: She cried buckets of tears when her favorite singer dedicated a song to her.
Other Ways to Say: Weep buckets, Shed tons of tears
44. Cry like a banshee
Meaning: To cry or scream loudly and mournfully.
In a Sentence: When she stubbed her toe, she cried like a banshee, startling everyone nearby.
Other Ways to Say: Wail loudly, Scream mournfully
45. Cry your lungs out
Meaning: To cry very loudly and intensely.
In a Sentence: He cried his lungs out when he had to leave his best friend at the airport.
Other Ways to Say: Sob loudly, Wail intensely
46. Cry in vain
Meaning: To cry without achieving any result.
In a Sentence: She cried in vain over the broken vase, as it couldn’t be fixed.
Other Ways to Say: Cry for nothing, Weep uselessly
47. Cry to the moon
Meaning: To cry or complain excessively about something unattainable.
In a Sentence: He was crying to the moon about not getting the lead role in the play.
Other Ways to Say: Complain futilely, Moan endlessly
48. Cry with laughter
Meaning: To laugh so hard that tears come out.
In a Sentence: The comedian’s jokes were so funny that she cried with laughter all night.
Other Ways to Say: Laugh until you cry, Tear up from laughing
49. Cry up a storm
Meaning: To cry a lot or very intensely.
In a Sentence: When her favorite character died in the book, she cried up a storm.
Other Ways to Say: Weep heavily, Sob a lot
50. Cry on cue
Meaning: To cry deliberately when needed, often for effect.
In a Sentence: The actor could cry on cue during every emotional scene in the movie.
Other Ways to Say: Cry on demand, Shed tears intentionally
51. Cry havoc
Meaning: To cause chaos or distress, often with loud outcries.
In a Sentence: The fans cried havoc when the concert was canceled at the last minute.
Other Ways to Say: Cause an uproar, Create chaos
52. Cry over a broken heart
Meaning: To cry due to romantic disappointment or heartbreak.
In a Sentence: She cried over a broken heart after her relationship ended unexpectedly.
Other Ways to Say: Weep over love, Sob over heartbreak
53. Cry into the night
Meaning: To cry sadly or alone, often late at night.
In a Sentence: Feeling lonely, she cried into the night, hoping for better days.
Other Ways to Say: Weep alone, Sob in solitude
54. Cry for help
Meaning: To express distress or need for assistance, often through crying.
In a Sentence: He cried for help when he felt overwhelmed by his schoolwork.
Other Ways to Say: Call for help, Plead emotionally
55. Cry in your pillow
Meaning: To cry privately, often while lying in bed.
In a Sentence: After the tough day, she cried in her pillow to let out her frustrations.
Other Ways to Say: Sob privately, Weep quietly
56. Cry like a child
Meaning: To cry in a simple, innocent, or uncontrolled way.
In a Sentence: When he heard the sad news, he cried like a child, unable to hold back.
Other Ways to Say: Sob innocently, Weep freely
57. Cry over the moon
Meaning: To cry or yearn for something impossible.
In a Sentence: She cried over the moon, wishing she could undo her past mistakes.
Other Ways to Say: Yearn futilely, Long for the impossible
58. Cry till you’re dry
Meaning: To cry so much that you have no tears left.
In a Sentence: After the loss, she cried till she was dry, exhausted from her emotions.
Other Ways to Say: Cry until empty, Weep completely
59. Cry at the top of your lungs
Meaning: To cry or scream very loudly.
In a Sentence: When she saw her favorite team lose, she cried at the top of her lungs.
Other Ways to Say: Scream loudly, Wail intensely
60. Cry for joy
Meaning: To cry because of overwhelming happiness.
In a Sentence: When her brother returned home safely, she cried for joy in his arms.
Other Ways to Say: Shed happy tears, Weep with happiness
Practical Exercise
Fill in the blanks:
- When she heard the sad news, she _______ her eyes out all night.
- He was so happy to see his family that he shed _______ of joy.
- She turned on the _______ to convince her teacher to give her extra time.
- There’s no point crying over _______ milk when you can’t change the past.
- After her breakup, she cried a _______ and felt better afterward.
- He shed _______ tears to gain sympathy, but no one fell for it.
- Watching the emotional movie, she got all _______ up and couldn’t speak.
- She cried on her friend’s _______ when she needed comfort after a bad day.
- Her eyes began to _______ up when she heard the touching story.
- After losing the game, the team was _______ in tears, overwhelmed by sadness.
- She cried like a _______ when her pet passed away unexpectedly.
- He was so emotional that he _______ his heart out during the farewell.
Answers:
cried, tears, waterworks, spilled, river, crocodile, choked, shoulder, tear, drowning, baby, sobbed
Conclusion
Idioms about crying offer a vibrant way to express a wide range of emotions, from sorrow to joy. They add depth and color to our conversations, making it easier to share feelings in a relatable and engaging way. By practicing these idioms, you can enrich your communication skills and better connect with others in everyday situations.
Try using these phrases in your daily life—whether at school, with friends, or in writing. Over time, they’ll become a natural part of how you express yourself. Emotions are a universal part of being human, and idioms about crying make it easier to share those feelings with the world.