33 Idioms for Crying

Crying is a universal expression of emotion, often accompanied by deep feelings that words sometimes struggle to convey. To capture these moments, language has gifted us with idioms that beautifully express the various shades of tears and sorrow.

These idioms for crying enrich our communication, adding emotional depth and color to how we describe sadness, joy, or any tear-inducing experience. Let’s explore 33 idioms for crying, their meanings, and how they bring life to our words.

1. Bawl One’s Eyes Out

Meaning: To cry loudly and uncontrollably.
In a Sentence: After her favorite character died in the show, Anna bawled her eyes out.
Other Ways to Say: Sob one’s heart out, cry one’s heart out.

2. Shed Tears

Meaning: To cry or weep, often silently.
In a Sentence: The heartfelt farewell speech made everyone shed tears.
Other Ways to Say: Weep, cry softly.

3. Cry a River

Meaning: To cry excessively or for a prolonged period.
In a Sentence: After the breakup, she cried a river in her room.
Other Ways to Say: Weep profusely, sob heavily.

4. Tear Up

Meaning: To cry lightly or become teary-eyed.
In a Sentence: Seeing her daughter on stage made her tear up with pride.
Other Ways to Say: Get emotional, become teary.

5. Break Down in Tears

Meaning: To suddenly start crying due to overwhelming emotions.
In a Sentence: When the project failed, he broke down in tears.
Other Ways to Say: Burst into tears, cry uncontrollably.

6. Cry One’s Heart Out

Meaning: To cry intensely or express deep emotions through tears.
In a Sentence: She cried her heart out after reading the emotional letter.
Other Ways to Say: Sob violently, weep profoundly.

7. Snivel

Meaning: To cry or sniffle in a weak or complaining manner.
In a Sentence: The toddler began to snivel when his toy broke.
Other Ways to Say: Whine, sniffle.

8. Choke Up

Meaning: To become emotional and struggle to speak due to tears.
In a Sentence: As he thanked his family, he choked up and paused for a moment.
Other Ways to Say: Get emotional, struggle to speak.

9. Wail

Meaning: To cry out loudly, often in pain or grief.
In a Sentence: The child wailed loudly after falling off the swing.
Other Ways to Say: Sob loudly, howl.

10. Have a Meltdown

Meaning: To have an emotional outburst, often involving crying.
In a Sentence: Losing her luggage caused her to have a meltdown at the airport.
Other Ways to Say: Break down, have an emotional episode.

11. Bawl Like a Baby

Meaning: To cry loudly, similar to an infant.
In a Sentence: After winning the award, she bawled like a baby.
Other Ways to Say: Cry like a baby, sob uncontrollably.

12. Drown in Tears

Meaning: To cry so much that one’s eyes seem completely filled with tears.
In a Sentence: The grief left her drowning in tears for days.
Other Ways to Say: Cry copiously, weep excessively.

13. Shed a Tear

Meaning: To cry, often just a little.
In a Sentence: He shed a tear while recalling his childhood memories.
Other Ways to Say: Cry a little, tear up.

14. Let It All Out

Meaning: To express one’s emotions fully, often through crying.
In a Sentence: After weeks of holding it in, she finally let it all out.
Other Ways to Say: Release emotions, express feelings.

15. 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; let’s fix the problem.
Other Ways to Say: Regret unchangeable events, worry about the past.

16. Have a Good Cry

Meaning: To cry to release emotions or stress.
In a Sentence: Sometimes, having a good cry helps to feel better.
Other Ways to Say: Let out emotions, shed tears.

17. Welling Up

Meaning: To feel tears forming in one’s eyes.
In a Sentence: He felt his eyes welling up as he read the heartfelt letter.
Other Ways to Say: Getting teary, feeling emotional.

18. Cry on Someone’s Shoulder

Meaning: To seek comfort by sharing one’s feelings and crying.
In a Sentence: She cried on her best friend’s shoulder after the breakup.
Other Ways to Say: Seek comfort, lean on someone.

19. Cry Like a Faucet

Meaning: To cry excessively or uncontrollably.
In a Sentence: When he saw the devastating news, he cried like a faucet.
Other Ways to Say: Cry profusely, sob nonstop.

20. Let the Tears Flow

Meaning: To allow oneself to cry without restraint.
In a Sentence: At the memorial, everyone let the tears flow freely.
Other Ways to Say: Cry unrestrainedly, allow tears to fall.

21. Cry a Waterfall

Meaning: To cry excessively, as if producing a waterfall of tears.
In a Sentence: When she saw the reunion, she cried a waterfall.
Other Ways to Say: Weep copiously, cry a river.

22. Cry One’s Eyes Dry

Meaning: To cry so much that no tears are left.
In a Sentence: She cried her eyes dry after hearing the news.
Other Ways to Say: Weep until tears are exhausted.

23. Break into Tears

Meaning: To start crying suddenly.
In a Sentence: The touching scene made her break into tears.
Other Ways to Say: Burst into tears, start crying abruptly.

24. Shed a Flood of Tears

Meaning: To cry excessively.
In a Sentence: The tragic story made the audience shed a flood of tears.
Other Ways to Say: Cry heavily, weep profusely.

25. Cry One’s Heartache Away

Meaning: To cry as a way of coping with grief.
In a Sentence: She cried her heartache away after losing her pet.
Other Ways to Say: Sob to cope, weep to ease pain.

26. Tears of Joy

Meaning: Crying out of happiness or relief.
In a Sentence: She had tears of joy when she reunited with her brother.
Other Ways to Say: Happy tears, tears of happiness.

27. Cry a Sea of Tears

Meaning: To cry excessively, as if creating a sea of tears.
In a Sentence: She cried a sea of tears after the farewell.
Other Ways to Say: Weep profusely, cry copiously.

28. Eyes Welling with Tears

Meaning: To feel tears gathering in one’s eyes.
In a Sentence: The heartfelt story left her eyes welling with tears.
Other Ways to Say: Eyes filling with tears.

29. Cry in Silence

Meaning: To cry quietly without making noise.
In a Sentence: She cried in silence, not wanting to wake anyone up.
Other Ways to Say: Weep quietly, cry soundlessly.

30. Tears Rolling Down One’s Cheeks

Meaning: Tears flowing down one’s face due to crying.
In a Sentence: Tears rolled down her cheeks as she said goodbye.
Other Ways to Say: Tears streaming down, crying tears.

31. Cry Like a Broken Record

Meaning: To cry repeatedly about the same thing.
In a Sentence: He cried like a broken record over the lost game.
Other Ways to Say: Sob continuously.

32. Eyes Swimming with Tears

Meaning: To have eyes filled or overflowing with tears.
In a Sentence: The emotional speech left everyone’s eyes swimming with tears.
Other Ways to Say: Eyes overflowing with tears.

33. Turn on the Waterworks

Meaning: To start crying, often to gain sympathy or manipulate.
In a Sentence: He turned on the waterworks whenever he wanted attention.
Other Ways to Say: Fake tears, cry on command.

MCQ Quiz: Idioms for Crying

1. What does the idiom “Cry a River” mean?

Options:
a) To cry excessively or for a prolonged period.
b) To cry silently without making any noise.
c) To cry out of joy.
d) To cry in a weak or complaining manner.
Answer: a) To cry excessively or for a prolonged period.

2. Which idiom means “to cry lightly or become teary-eyed”

Options:
a) Break Down in Tears
b) Tear Up
c) Cry a Sea of Tears
d) Cry Like a Broken Record
Answer: b) Tear Up

3. What is the meaning of “Turn on the Waterworks”?

Options:
a) To cry uncontrollably.
b) To start crying, often to gain sympathy or manipulate.
c) To cry silently.
d) To have tears fill one’s eyes.
Answer: b) To start crying, often to gain sympathy or manipulate.

4. Which idiom is used to describe crying loudly and uncontrollably?

Options:
a) Snivel
b) Cry a Waterfall
c) Bawl One’s Eyes Out
d) Shed a Tear
Answer: c) Bawl One’s Eyes Out

5. What does “Cry on Someone’s Shoulder” imply?

Options:
a) Crying to seek comfort and support.
b) Crying silently in solitude.
c) Crying as a form of manipulation.
d) Crying due to extreme joy.
Answer: a) Crying to seek comfort and support.

6. What does the idiom “Cry Over Spilled Milk” mean?

Options:
a) Crying uncontrollably over an event.
b) Being upset about something that cannot be changed.
c) Expressing tears of joy.
d) Crying lightly over a minor incident.
Answer: b) Being upset about something that cannot be changed.

7. Which idiom means “to allow oneself to cry without restraint”?

Options:
a) Let the Tears Flow
b) Have a Meltdown
c) Cry Like a Faucet
d) Shed a Flood of Tears
Answer: a) Let the Tears Flow

8. Which idiom refers to crying as a way of coping with grief?

Options:
a) Break Down in Tears
b) Cry One’s Heartache Away
c) Shed Tears
d) Eyes Swimming with Tears
Answer: b) Cry One’s Heartache Away

9. What is the meaning of “Welling Up”?

Options:
a) To cry uncontrollably.
b) To feel tears forming in one’s eyes.
c) To cry lightly or silently.
d) To start crying suddenly.
Answer: b) To feel tears forming in one’s eyes.

10. Which idiom means “to cry as if creating a waterfall of tears”?

Options:
a) Cry Like a Broken Record
b) Cry Like a Baby
c) Cry a Waterfall
d) Cry on Command
Answer: c) Cry a Waterfall

Conclusion

Idioms for crying allow us to vividly express emotions, whether they stem from sadness, joy, frustration, or relief. They add color and depth to our conversations, making it easier to relate to and connect with others.

By incorporating these idioms into our language, we not only enrich our expression but also celebrate the emotional nuances of human experiences. Whether you’re “tearing up” over a touching moment or “crying a river” during tough times, these idioms capture the essence of our feelings beautifully.