Idioms for cry are fun phrases that mean something different from the literal words you see on the page. People use them every day to add color to their conversations and share feelings quickly. In this article, you will learn many helpful idioms related to crying, shedding tears, and feeling sad.
In this lesson, we’ll look at Idioms that mean weeping softly, shedding tears, and feeling sorrow. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Cry
1. Cry your eyes out
Meaning: Crying uncontrollably and heavily for a long period of time.
For Example: She was so upset about losing her favorite toy that she began to cry her eyes out. / Watching the sad movie made him want to cry his eyes out.
Other Ways to Say: Weep heavily / Sob loudly
2. Weep bitter tears
Meaning: Crying with deep regret, sorrow, and intense emotional pain.
For Example: He realized his mistake too late and started to weep bitter tears. / Making bad choices can cause people to weep bitter tears.
Other Ways to Say: Grieve deeply / Cry with regret
3. Shed a tear
Meaning: Crying slightly by letting one or two tears fall.
For Example: Grandma managed to shed a tear when her granddaughter sang on stage. / It is normal to shed a tear during heartwarming stories.
Other Ways to Say: Cry a little / Tear up
4. Burst into tears
Meaning: Suddenly starting to cry loudly without any warning.
For Example: Hearing the bad news made her burst into tears right in the hallway. / Dropping his ice cream cone caused the toddler to burst into tears.
Other Ways to Say: Suddenly weep / Start crying
5. Put on the waterworks
Meaning: Crying or pretending to cry in order to get attention or sympathy.
For Example: When mom said it was bedtime, the little boy tried to put on the waterworks. / She knew her brother was just putting on the waterworks to get a toy.
Other Ways to Say: Fake crying / Turn on tears
6. Cry a river
Meaning: An exaggerated way of saying someone is crying too much or complaining loudly.
For Example: Stop worrying about losing the game and don’t cry a river over it. / He made a big fuss and started to cry a river when chores were assigned.
Other Ways to Say: Complain a lot / Weep excessively
7. Cry like a baby
Meaning: Crying loudly and openly without trying to hold back tears.
For Example: Scraping his knee badly made him cry like a baby on the playground. / The loud thunder storm caused the puppy to cry like a baby.
Other Ways to Say: Sob openly / Cry loudly
8. Sob your heart out
Meaning: Crying with deep emotional release and intense sadness.
For Example: She went to her bedroom to close the door and sob her heart out. / Letting go of worries can make you want to sob your heart out.
Other Ways to Say: Weep deeply / Cry intensely
9. Lump in your throat
Meaning: Feeling a tight physical sensation in your neck right before crying.
For Example: Saying goodbye to her best friend gave her a big lump in her throat. / Watching the graduation speech left a lump in his throat.
Other Ways to Say: Feel choked up / Fight tears
10. Eyes well up
Meaning: Filling up with tears because of sadness or strong emotions.
For Example: Her eyes began to well up when she heard the touching poem. / Receiving the kind card made his eyes well up.
Other Ways to Say: Tear up / Get misty-eyed
11. Cry yourself to sleep
Meaning: Crying continuously in bed until you finally fall asleep from exhaustion.
For Example: Missing her puppy made her want to cry herself to sleep. / He spent the whole evening trying not to cry himself to sleep.
Other Ways to Say: Weep in bed / Cry all night
12. Turn on the waterworks
Meaning: Starting to produce tears and cry intentionally or suddenly.
For Example: She knew she was in trouble, so she tried to turn on the waterworks. / Putting on a sad face made her turn on the waterworks.
Other Ways to Say: Start crying / Produce tears
13. Break down and cry
Meaning: Losing emotional control and starting to weep openly.
For Example: The pressure of exams became too much, and she began to break down and cry. / Hearing the comforting words made him break down and cry.
Other Ways to Say: Lose composure / Weep openly
14. Bawl your eyes out
Meaning: Crying loudly and unrestrainedly like a young child.
For Example: Losing his favorite notebook made him bawl his eyes out in class. / She watched the sad drama and started to bawl her eyes out.
Other Ways to Say: Sob loudly / Cry heavily
15. Whimper and cry
Meaning: Making small, soft crying sounds of pain or sadness.
For Example: The hurt kitten began to whimper and cry on the porch. / He tried to stay brave, but started to whimper and cry softly.
Other Ways to Say: Whine and weep / Cry softly
16. Cry over spilt milk
Meaning: Crying or worrying about a mistake that cannot be changed.
For Example: Dropping your pencil is annoying, but there is no use trying to cry over spilt milk. / What is done is done, so don’t cry over spilt milk.
Other Ways to Say: Waste tears / Worry uselessly
17. Cry wolf
Meaning: Crying out for help when you are not in trouble, losing trust.
For Example: After playing false jokes so often, nobody believed him because he would always cry wolf. / Stop pretending to be hurt or people will think you cry wolf.
Other Ways to Say: False alarm / Fake cries
18. Cry all the way home
Meaning: Weeping continuously while walking or traveling back house.
For Example: Missing the winning goal made him want to cry all the way home. / She felt so homesick she started to cry all the way home.
Other Ways to Say: Weep during travel / Cry continuously
19. Cry me a river
Meaning: A sarcastic phrase telling someone to stop complaining and crying.
For Example: If you don’t like doing homework, go ahead and cry me a river. / He complained about chores, and his brother told him to cry me a river.
Other Ways to Say: Stop complaining / Get over it
20. Cry on someone’s shoulder
Meaning: Seeking emotional comfort and sympathy by crying near a friend.
For Example: After failing the test, she needed to cry on her best friend’s shoulder. / True companions offer their shoulder when you need to weep.
Other Ways to Say: Seek comfort / Share sorrow
21. Laugh until you cry
Meaning: Crying happy tears because something is extremely funny.
For Example: The hilarious puppy video made everyone laugh until they cried. / Telling silly jokes at lunch made us laugh until we cried.
Other Ways to Say: Laugh hysterically / Joyful tears
22. Cry happy tears
Meaning: Shedding tears of joy during wonderful, exciting celebrations.
For Example: Winning the championship game made her cry happy tears. / Seeing her family at the airport had him crying happy tears.
Other Ways to Say: Joyful weeping / Tears of gladness
23. Weep with joy
Meaning: Experiencing such intense happiness that it brings tears to your eyes.
For Example: Receiving the scholarship made her parents weep with joy. / He could only stand on stage and weep with joy.
Other Ways to Say: Cry happily / Rejoice tearfully
24. Sob quietly
Meaning: Crying gently with soft breaths so others cannot hear.
For Example: She hid under the blanket to try and sob quietly in the dark. / He attempted to sob quietly during the sad song.
Other Ways to Say: Weep softly / Muffle tears
25. Silent tears
Meaning: Letting tears fall down your cheeks without making any crying sounds.
For Example: Sitting by the window, she let silent tears fall while reading. / He wiped away silent tears before anyone noticed.
Other Ways to Say: Quiet crying / Unheard weeping
26. Eyes red from crying
Meaning: Physical signs of weeping showing around your face.
For Example: After staying up late grieving, her eyes red from crying gave her away. / He washed his face to hide his eyes red from crying.
Other Ways to Say: Tearful face / Weepy appearance
27. Puff up your face
Meaning: Swelling around your eyes and cheeks after heavy crying.
For Example: Crying for hours will puff up your face the next morning. / She used a cold cloth to fix her puffed up face.
Other Ways to Say: Swollen features / Weepy face
28. Wipe away tears
Meaning: Using a tissue or hand to clean moisture from your face.
For Example: Dad rushed to wipe away her tears after she scraped her knee. / Kind friends try to wipe away tears with kind words.
Other Ways to Say: Dry eyes / Comfort a crier
29. Catch a tear
Meaning: Stopping a falling drop of moisture with your fingertip.
For Example: She lifted her hand to catch a tear before it fell. / He tried to catch a tear while watching the film.
Other Ways to Say: Dry face / Stop crying
30. Floodgates open
Meaning: When you finally stop holding back and start crying heavily.
For Example: Keeping quiet failed once the floodgates open and she started sobbing. / Hearing his comforting voice made the floodgates open.
Other Ways to Say: Release tears / Start weeping
31. Let it all out
Meaning: Stopping yourself from holding back emotions so you can cry freely.
For Example: It is healthy to let it all out when you feel sad. / Crying lets you let it all out and feel better later.
Other Ways to Say: Release feelings / Cry freely
32. Release the sorrow
Meaning: Letting go of sadness through the act of crying.
For Example: Writing poetry and crying helped her release the sorrow. / Sometimes a good weep helps release the sorrow.
Other Ways to Say: Let go of grief / Cry away pain
33. Choke back tears
Meaning: Struggling hard to swallow and stop yourself from crying.
For Example: He tried to choke back tears during the difficult speech. / Swallowing hard helped her choke back tears in front of class.
Other Ways to Say: Fight crying / Hold back weeping
34. Fight back tears
Meaning: Resisting sadness so you do not cry in public.
For Example: She had to fight back tears when her art project fell apart. / Trying to stay strong means you fight back tears.
Other Ways to Say: Resist crying / Hold back sorrow
35. Swallow a sob
Meaning: Stopping a crying noise in your throat while feeling sad.
For Example: He managed to swallow a sob so nobody would hear him. / Taking a deep breath helped her swallow a sob.
Other Ways to Say: Stop crying noise / Muffle grief
36. Keep a stiff upper lip
Meaning: Trying not to cry and acting brave during sad times.
For Example: Even when his toy broke, he tried to keep a stiff upper lip. / Families tell children to keep a stiff upper lip during trials.
Other Ways to Say: Stay brave / Hide tears
37. Put on a brave face
Meaning: Smiling and pretending not to feel sad or like crying.
For Example: She decided to put on a brave face despite losing the match. / Putting on a brave face helps hide your sadness.
Other Ways to Say: Act strong / Hide sorrow
38. Weep in secret
Meaning: Crying alone where nobody else can see you.
For Example: Rather than bother others, he preferred to weep in secret. / She went to her room to weep in secret.
Other Ways to Say: Cry alone / Private weeping
39. Shed bucketloads of tears
Meaning: Crying an enormous amount of moisture over a tragedy.
For Example: Losing her pet made her shed bucketloads of tears. / The sad story made readers shed bucketloads of tears.
Other Ways to Say: Cry heavily / Weep profusely
40. Cry your heart out in private
Meaning: Releasing all sadness alone in your bedroom.
For Example: Sometimes you just need time to cry your heart out in private. / She closed her door to cry her heart out in private.
Other Ways to Say: Sob alone / Private grief
41. Sob uncontrollably
Meaning: Crying with shaking breaths that you cannot stop.
For Example: Hearing the tragic news caused him to sob uncontrollably. / She started to sob uncontrollably on the couch.
Other Ways to Say: Weep wildly / Unstoppable crying
42. Wail in sorrow
Meaning: Crying out loud with a high-pitched sound of grief.
For Example: The sad song made the character wail in sorrow on stage. / Deep grief can make people wail in sorrow.
Other Ways to Say: Cry out / Grieve loudly
43. Cry a bucket of tears
Meaning: Shedding an extreme amount of liquid while weeping.
For Example: Saying goodbye to friends made her cry a bucket of tears. / The sad movie had everyone crying a bucket of tears.
Other Ways to Say: Weep heavily / Cry a lot
44. Ocean of tears
Meaning: A metaphorical pool of liquid created by heavy crying.
For Example: Her sadness felt deep enough to fill an ocean of tears. / The tragic book left readers swimming in an ocean of tears.
Other Ways to Say: Lots of tears / Massive weeping
45. Weep rivers
Meaning: Shedding continuous streams of tears over misfortune.
For Example: Missing her family made her want to weep rivers. / The heartbreak caused him to weep rivers.
Other Ways to Say: Cry constantly / Stream tears
46. Tearful farewell
Meaning: Saying goodbye to someone while crying and hugging.
For Example: Boarding the train led to a tearful farewell with cousins. / Saying goodbye to the school grade was a tearful farewell.
Other Ways to Say: Sad goodbye / Weepy parting
47. Weepy mood
Meaning: Feeling sensitive and ready to cry at any small thing.
For Example: Tiredness put her in a very weepy mood all afternoon. / Sad commercials can trigger a weepy mood.
Other Ways to Say: Sensitive feeling / Tearful state
48. On the verge of tears
Meaning: Almost starting to cry because of stress or sadness.
For Example: After missing the bus, she looked like she was on the verge of tears. / The tough questions left him on the verge of tears.
Other Ways to Say: About to cry / Ready to weep
49. Close to tears
Meaning: Feeling so emotional that tears are ready to fall.
For Example: Listening to the kind praise made her feel close to tears. / He was close to tears when his project collapsed.
Other Ways to Say: Emotional / Ready to cry
50. Voice trembling with emotion
Meaning: Speaking with a shaky voice that sounds like you might cry.
For Example: Reading her poem aloud left her voice trembling with emotion. / He answered the principal with a voice trembling with emotion.
Other Ways to Say: Shaky voice / Emotional speech
51. Quivering chin
Meaning: The physical movement of your lower face right before crying.
For Example: Mom saw his quivering chin and knew he was upset about the scraped knee. / Trying not to cry caused her quivering chin.
Other Ways to Say: Shaking mouth / Pre-cry sign
52. Misty eyes
Meaning: Having eyes filled with a thin layer of emotional tears.
For Example: Looking at old photo albums left her with misty eyes. / He blinked away his misty eyes during the award ceremony.
Other Ways to Say: Teary eyes / Watery gaze
53. Watery eyes
Meaning: Eyes overflowing slightly with moisture from crying or wind.
For Example: The cold wind made everyone walk with watery eyes. / Sadness left her with watery eyes.
Other Ways to Say: Teary sight / Damp eyes
54. Weeping willow
Meaning: A tree named for its drooping branches, often used in poetry about crying.
For Example: The sad poem compared her flowing hair to a weeping willow. / They sat under the weeping willow to share quiet feelings.
Other Ways to Say: Drooping tree / Sorrowful plant
55. Cry of despair
Meaning: A loud, desperate vocal cry caused by extreme hopelessness.
For Example: Finding the door locked gave a brief cry of despair. / Stories often feature a hero letting out a cry of despair.
Other Ways to Say: Hopeless shout / Desperate weep
56. Lament and weep
Meaning: Expressing deep sorrow through loud mourning and crying.
For Example: Characters in ancient plays often lament and weep over lost treasures. / It is natural to lament and weep during hard times.
Other Ways to Say: Mourn and cry / Grieve loudly
57. Sobbing fit
Meaning: A sudden, uncontrollable session of heavy crying.
For Example: Hearing the bad news triggered a sudden sobbing fit. / She went to the quiet corner to recover from her sobbing fit.
Other Ways to Say: Crying spell / Weeping fit
58. Weeping spell
Meaning: A temporary period of feeling sad and shedding tears.
For Example: Hormones and tiredness gave her a brief weeping spell. / Allowing a weeping spell helps release pent-up sadness.
Other Ways to Say: Crying period / Sad spell
59. Ultimate cry session
Meaning: A long, thorough session of releasing all sadness through tears.
For Example: After a hard week of exams, she needed an ultimate cry session. / Letting out all worries resulted in an ultimate cry session.
Other Ways to Say: Big weep / Total emotional release
60. Final tear fall
Meaning: The last drop of moisture shed at the end of a crying spell.
For Example: Taking a deep breath brought the final tear fall to an end. / She wiped her cheek after the final tear fall dried.
Other Ways to Say: Last drop / End of weeping
Exercise to Practice
- She was so upset about losing her favorite toy that she began to ________ her eyes out.
- He realized his mistake too late and started to ________ bitter tears.
- Grandma managed to ________ a tear when her granddaughter sang on stage.
- Hearing the bad news made her ________ into tears right in the hallway.
- When mom said it was bedtime, the little boy tried to ________ on the waterworks.
- Stop worrying about losing the game and don’t ________ a river over it.
- Scraping his knee badly made him ________ like a baby on the playground.
- She went to her bedroom to close the door and ________ her heart out.
- Saying goodbye to her best friend gave her a big ________ in her throat.
- Her eyes began to ________ up when she heard the touching poem.
- Missing her puppy made her want to ________ herself to sleep.
- She knew she was in trouble, so she tried to ________ on the waterworks.
- The pressure of exams became too much, and she began to ________ down and cry.
- Losing his favorite notebook made him ________ his eyes out in class.
- The hurt kitten began to ________ and cry on the porch.
Answer Key
- cry
- weep
- shed
- burst
- put
- cry
- cry
- sob
- lump
- well
- cry
- turn
- break
- bawl
- whimper
Conclusion
Learning idioms related to crying helps us describe weeping, sadness, and emotional releases with colorful language. These descriptive phrases bring empathy and honesty to our everyday conversations about sorrow. Try using a few of these new idioms when talking about emotional stories or feeling down today. You will make your language more expressive while mastering wonderful English vocabulary.
