In conversations, we often use phrases to express emotions or experiences. One such set of phrases revolves around crying. These phrases, called “idioms for crying,” add color to our language. Idioms are groups of words with meanings different from their literal interpretations.
Idioms for crying describe shedding tears or feeling sadness in various situations. They’re used in casual and formal settings, enhancing communication. Learning these idioms helps us understand emotions better and communicate effectively. Let’s explore some common idioms for crying and how they’re used in everyday language.
Idioms for Crying
1. Topic: Bawl One’s Eyes Out
Meaning: To cry loudly and uncontrollably.
In a Sentence: When Sarah’s pet rabbit passed away, she bawled her eyes out for hours.
Other Ways to Say: Sob One’s Heart Out, Cry One’s Heart Out
2. Topic: Shed Tears
Meaning: To cry or weep, often silently.
In a Sentence: The touching scene in the movie made me shed tears of joy.
Other Ways to Say: Cry, Weep
3. Topic: Cry a River
Meaning: To cry excessively or for a prolonged period.
In a Sentence: After losing the championship game, the team’s fans cried a river.
Other Ways to Say: Weep Profusely, Sob Heavily
4. Topic: Tear Up
Meaning: To cry lightly or become teary-eyed.
In a Sentence: The touching speech at graduation made many parents tear up.
Other Ways to Say: Get Emotional, Become Teary
5. Topic: Break Down in Tears
Meaning: To suddenly start crying, often due to overwhelming emotions.
In a Sentence: When the teacher announced the end of the school year, some students broke down in tears.
Other Ways to Say: Burst into Tears, Cry Uncontrollably
6. Topic: Cry One’s Heart Out
Meaning: To cry intensely or express deep emotions through tears.
In a Sentence: After watching the sad movie, Jane cried her heart out.
Other Ways to Say: Sob Violently, Weep Profoundly
7. Topic: Snivel
Meaning: To cry or sniffle in a weak or complaining manner.
In a Sentence: The cold weather made Tim snivel all day long.
Other Ways to Say: Whine, Sniffle
8. Topic: Choke Up
Meaning: To become emotional and struggle to speak due to tears.
In a Sentence: When receiving the award, Jenny choked up and couldn’t finish her speech.
Other Ways to Say: Become Emotional, Get Choked Up
9. Topic: Wail
Meaning: To cry out loudly, often in pain or grief.
In a Sentence: The baby wailed loudly when her toy was taken away.
Other Ways to Say: Howl, Sob Loudly
10. Topic: Have a Meltdown
Meaning: To have an emotional outburst, often involving crying.
In a Sentence: After failing the test, Tom had a meltdown in the classroom.
Other Ways to Say: Break Down, Have an Emotional Episode
11. Topic: Bawl Like a Baby
Meaning: To cry loudly and in a manner reminiscent of an infant.
In a Sentence: When he lost his favorite toy, the toddler bawled like a baby.
Other Ways to Say: Cry Like a Baby, Sob Uncontrollably
12. Topic: Drown in Tears
Meaning: To cry so much that one’s eyes seem to fill with tears completely.
In a Sentence: The news of her grandmother’s passing made her drown in tears.
Other Ways to Say: Cry Copiously, Weep Excessively
13. Topic: Shed a Tear
Meaning: To cry, typically only a small amount.
In a Sentence: Although he was sad, Jack didn’t shed a tear at the funeral.
Other Ways to Say: Cry a Little, Tear Up
14. Topic: Let It All Out
Meaning: To express one’s emotions fully, often through crying.
In a Sentence: After the breakup, Sarah went home and let it all out.
Other Ways to Say: Express One’s Feelings, Release Emotions
15. Topic: Cry Over Spilled Milk
Meaning: To be upset over something that has already happened and cannot be changed.
In a Sentence: Don’t cry over spilled milk; just clean it up and move on.
Other Ways to Say: Worry About the Past, Regret Unchangeable Events
16. Topic: Have a Good Cry
Meaning: To cry in order to release pent-up emotions or stress.
In a Sentence: Sometimes, it’s good to have a good cry and let it all out.
Other Ways to Say: Have a Weep, Shed Tears
17. Topic: Welling Up
Meaning: To feel tears forming in one’s eyes.
In a Sentence: When she saw the surprise party, she felt her eyes welling up.
Other Ways to Say: Getting Teary, Feeling Emotional
18. Topic: Cry on Someone’s Shoulder
Meaning: To seek comfort or support by sharing one’s feelings and crying.
In a Sentence: When her pet ran away, Sally cried on her friend’s shoulder.
Other Ways to Say: Seek Comfort, Lean on Someone
19. Topic: Cry Like a Faucet
Meaning: To cry excessively or uncontrollably.
In a Sentence: When he heard the sad news, he cried like a faucet.
Other Ways to Say: Cry Profusely, Sob Nonstop
20. Topic: Let the Tears Flow
Meaning: To allow oneself to cry without holding back.
In a Sentence: After the breakup, she let the tears flow freely.
Other Ways to Say: Allow Tears to Fall, Cry Unrestrainedly
21. Topic: Cry a Waterfall
Meaning: To cry excessively, as if producing a waterfall of tears.
In a Sentence: When her best friend moved away, Sarah cried a waterfall.
Other Ways to Say: Weep Copiously, Cry a River
22. Topic: Cry One’s Eyes Dry
Meaning: To cry so much that one runs out of tears.
In a Sentence: After hearing the tragic news, she cried her eyes dry.
Other Ways to Say: Weep Until Tears Are Exhausted, Cry Profusely
23. Topic: Break into Tears
Meaning: To suddenly start crying, often unexpectedly.
In a Sentence: When the teacher scolded him, he broke into tears.
Other Ways to Say: Burst into Tears, Start Crying Abruptly
24. Topic: Shed a Flood of Tears
Meaning: To cry copiously or excessively.
In a Sentence: Upon hearing the heartbreaking news, the family shed a flood of tears.
Other Ways to Say: Cry Heavily, Weep Profusely
25. Topic: Cry One’s Heartache Away
Meaning: To cry as a way of coping with emotional pain or grief.
In a Sentence: After the breakup, she spent days crying her heartache away.
Other Ways to Say: Weep to Ease Pain, Sob to Cope
26. Topic: Tears of Joy
Meaning: Crying due to overwhelming happiness or relief.
In a Sentence: When they announced her promotion, she shed tears of joy.
Other Ways to Say: Happy Tears, Tears of Happiness
27. Topic: Cry a Sea of Tears
Meaning: To cry excessively, as if producing an entire sea of tears.
In a Sentence: When her pet passed away, she cried a sea of tears.
Other Ways to Say: Weep Profusely, Cry Copiously
28. Topic: Eyes Welling with Tears
Meaning: To feel tears gathering in one’s eyes, ready to fall.
In a Sentence: Watching the heartwarming reunion, she felt her eyes welling with tears.
Other Ways to Say: Eyes Filling with Tears, Feeling Teary
29. Topic: Cry in Silence
Meaning: To cry without making any sound or noise.
In a Sentence: Unable to contain her emotions, she cried in silence.
Other Ways to Say: Weep Quietly, Cry Soundlessly
30. Topic: Tears Rolling Down One’s Cheeks
Meaning: Tears flowing down one’s face, often due to crying.
In a Sentence: As she listened to the touching song, tears started rolling down her cheeks.
Other Ways to Say: Tears Streaming Down, Crying Tears
31. Topic: Cry Like a Broken Record
Meaning: To cry repeatedly or incessantly about the same thing.
In a Sentence: Every time he lost a game, he cried like a broken record.
Other Ways to Say: Cry Over and Over, Sob Continuously
32. Topic: Eyes Swimming with Tears
Meaning: To have eyes filled or overflowing with tears.
In a Sentence: The emotional movie left everyone’s eyes swimming with tears.
Other Ways to Say: Tears Filling the Eyes, Eyes Overflowing with Tears
33. Topic: Turn on the Waterworks
Meaning: To start crying suddenly or intentionally, often to gain sympathy or manipulate a situation.
In a Sentence: Whenever he didn’t get his way, he would turn on the waterworks.
Other Ways to Say: Fake Tears, Cry On Command
Exercise to Practice
1. After watching a sad movie, Sarah __________ for hours.
2. When his favorite team lost the game, Tim couldn’t help but __________.
3. Mary was so moved by the surprise party that she felt her eyes __________.
4. Whenever she missed her grandmother, Jane would __________.
5. After the breakup, Tom had a __________ in his room.
6. When the teacher scolded him, Jack __________.
7. The touching scene in the play made many audience members __________.
8. Whenever he was sad, Mike would __________.
9. The news of her pet’s passing made Lily __________.
10. At the funeral, Emily didn’t __________ despite feeling sad.
11. After receiving the award, Jenny __________ and couldn’t speak.
12. When he saw his parents fighting, Mark would __________ in his room.
13. During the emotional speech, tears __________ down her cheeks.
14. After losing the championship, the team’s fans __________.
15. When her best friend moved away, Maria __________ for days.
16. The touching reunion made everyone’s eyes __________.
17. Every time he lost a game, Peter would __________.
Answers
1. bawled her eyes out
2. cry a river
3. welling up
4. shed tears
5. meltdown
6. broke into tears
7. tear up
8. choke up
9. drown in tears
10. shed a tear
11. choked up
12. snivel
13. rolled down her cheeks
14. cried a river
15. cried her heartache away
16. swim with tears
17. cry like a broken record
Conclusion
Idioms for crying add depth and emotion to our language. They help us express ourselves in various situations, whether we’re feeling sadness, joy, or any other strong emotion. Learning these idioms can enhance our communication skills and help us better understand the feelings of others. By incorporating idioms for crying into our everyday language, we can connect with others on a deeper level and express ourselves more effectively. So next time you feel like shedding tears, remember the idioms you’ve learned and use them to convey your emotions with clarity and impact.