Sometimes you don’t know how to express your emotions and you end up crying. Crying is not a sign of weakness, it just proves that you are a human. Crying is a natural reaction to a wide range of emotions, from profound sadness and anguish to ecstasy and joy. We have mentioned idioms for crying that you can use in your daily life.
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Also Read: 500+ Most Commonly Used Idioms with Examples
Idioms for Crying
Crying is a universal human experience that can express a wide range of emotions, from profound sadness to overwhelming joy. In English, various idioms encapsulate the nuances of crying, allowing speakers to convey their feelings more vividly. These idiomatic expressions not only enrich the language but also provide insight into the emotional states associated with tears.
Some common idioms for crying include:
- Tear up / Well up: To begin to get tears in one’s eyes without actually crying yet.
- Moved to tears: To feel such strong emotions that one is compelled to cry.
Let us take a look at some more idioms for crying which you will be able to use in your day-to-day conversations.
Cry Your Eyes Out
The meaning of crying your eyes out is to cry very hard or in an uncontrolled way.
Example: My whole family cried out eyes out after our house burned down.
Burst Into Tears
We can say someone bursts into tears when they suddenly start crying a lot.
Example: She looked like she was going to burst into tears.
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In Floods of Tears
When someone is in floods of tears, it means they are crying uncontrollably due to extreme sadness.
Example: They said goodbye in a flood of tears.
Cry Crocodile Tears
To cry crocodile tears is to pretend to be sad and cry about something.
Example: Every knows your reality, therefore stop shedding crocodile tears, now it will not help you fool people anymore.
Also Read: Idioms for IELTS
Hold Back The Tears
When trying to prevent crying and stop yourself from showing emotions, it means holding back the tears.
Example: She kept trying to hold back her tears.
Also Read: Understanding Idioms: Examples and Meanings
Close to Tears
This idiom refers to someone who for no reason begins crying
Example: His eyes welled up, and he was dangerously close to tears.
Quiz on Idioms for Crying
Instructions: Choose the best idiom to complete each sentence.
- After losing the competition, he __________. a) cried a river b) laughed his head off c) whispered sweet nothings
- She was so touched by the surprise party that she became __________. a) teary-eyed b) stone-faced c) full of beans
- The pressure became too much, and she __________. a) broke down in tears b) jumped for joy c) kept a stiff upper lip
- When her beloved pet died, she __________. a) cried her heart out b) chuckled to herself c) whistled a happy tune
- He was so amused by the comedian that he __________. a) cried with laughter b) fumed with anger c) yawned uncontrollably
Answer Key:
- a) cried a river
- a) teary-eyed
- a) broke down in tears
- a) cried her heart out
- a) cried with laughter
Additional List of Idioms for Crying with Meaning and Examples
Idioms for Crying | Meaning | Example Sentences |
Bawl One’s Eyes Out | To cry out loudly and uncontrollably | When Sarah’s pet rabbit passed away, she bawled her eyes out for hours. |
Shed Tears | To cry or weep, often silently. | The touching scene in the movie made me shed tears of joy. |
Cry a River | To cry excessively or for a longer period. | He was so dramatic about losing the game; that you’d think he’d cried a river. |
Tear Up | To become teary-eyed | She was teary-eyed as she watched her daughter graduate. |
Break Down in Tears | To suddenly start crying, often due to overwhelming emotions. | The stress of the final exam caused her to break down in tears. |
Cry One’s Heart Out | To cry intensely or express deep emotions through tears. | She cried her heart out when she heard the news. |
Snivel | To cry or sniffle in a weak or complaining manner. | The child snivelled and rubbed his eyes, trying to get his way. |
Choke Up | To become emotional and struggle to speak due to tears. | He started to choke up as he talked about his late father. |
Wail | To cry out loudly, often in pain or grief. | The child wailed loudly when his balloon popped. |
Have a Meltdown | To have an emotional outburst, often involving crying. | The toddler had a meltdown in the grocery store when his mom wouldn’t buy him candy. |
Bawl Like a Baby | To cry loudly and in a manner reminiscent of an infant. | He bawled like a baby when he didn’t get the toy he wanted. |
Drown in Tears | To cry so much that one’s eyes seem to fill with tears completely. | After her beloved pet ran away, she felt like she was drowning in tears. |
Shed a Tear | To cry, typically only a small amount. | He tried to be strong, but he couldn’t help but shed a tear as he watched his old friend leave. |
Let It All Out | To express one’s emotions fully, often through crying. | Sometimes, the best thing to do is just let it out and have a good cry. |
Welling Up | To feel tears forming in one’s eyes. | Seeing the old photo album caused memories to flood back, and tears started welling up in her eyes. |
Cry on Someone’s Shoulder | To seek comfort or support by sharing one’s feelings and crying. | After the breakup, she needed to cry on someone’s shoulder, so she called her best friend. |
Cry Like a Faucet | To cry excessively or uncontrollably. | The little boy cried like a faucet when his balloon popped. |
Let the Tears Flow | To allow oneself to cry without holding back. | After holding it in for so long, she finally let the tears flow. |
Cry a Waterfall | To cry excessively, as if producing a waterfall of tears. | He cried like a waterfall when his dog ran away. |
Cry One’s Eyes Dry | To cry so much that one runs out of tears. | He was so distraught that he cried his eyes dry. |
Break into Tears | To suddenly start crying, often unexpectedly. | The sad movie scene caused her to break into tears. |
Shed a Flood of Tears | To cry copiously or excessively. | She shed a flood of tears as she recounted the traumatic experience. |
Cry One’s Heartache Away | To cry as a way of coping with emotional pain or grief. | She hoped that a good cry would help her cry her heartache away. |
Tears of Joy | Crying due to overwhelming happiness or relief. | She wept tears of joy when her son returned home safely. |
Cry a Sea of Tears | To cry excessively, as if producing an entire sea of tears. | She cried a sea of tears when her beloved pet passed away. |
Eyes Welling with Tears | To feel tears gathering in one’s eyes, ready to fall. | Her eyes welled into tears as she listened to the poignant melody. |
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FAQs
Yes! While many crying idioms relate to sadness, some can relate to other strong emotions. For example, someone might “cry with laughter” if something is extremely funny. Although not strictly an idiom, “eyes welling up” can also describe a response to beauty or other intense emotions.
“Cry a river” means to cry excessively or to be overly emotional, often in a dramatic way. It suggests the person is crying so much that it’s as if they could create a river with their tears.
While both express intense crying, “cry one’s heart out” emphasizes the emotional depth and release, suggesting a deep sadness or grief. “Cry buckets” focuses more on the sheer volume of tears shed.
“Teary-eyed” describes someone whose eyes are filled with tears, often indicating sadness, sentimentality, or impending crying. It suggests the person is on the verge of tears but not necessarily crying openly.
To “break down in tears” means to suddenly lose control of one’s emotions and start crying, often after a period of holding back. It suggests a point of emotional overwhelm.
This was all about Idioms for crying. Hope you understand the concept and know how to proceed. You can also follow the Learn English page of Leverage Edu for more exciting and informative blogs related to grammar.