Crying is a natural way to show emotions, and English has many unique idioms to describe it. These expressions make conversations and writing more vivid and relatable.
This article explains over 60 idioms for crying, including their meanings, sentence examples, and easy alternatives. From common phrases to creative expressions, every idiom is detailed clearly so you can use them naturally in daily speech or writing.
Why Learn Idioms About Crying?
Idioms make your English more natural and expressive. Instead of simply saying “she cried,” you can say “she burst into tears” or “she broke down” to convey different intensities and contexts of crying. These expressions appear frequently in literature, movies, conversations, and everyday communication.
This guide will help you:
- Understand the subtle differences between crying idioms
- Use them correctly in sentences
- Express emotions more vividly in English
- Recognize these phrases when you hear or read them
Let’s explore these powerful expressions!
Best Idioms for Crying
1. Burst Into Tears
Meaning: To suddenly start crying, often unexpectedly or without warning.
In a Sentence:
- When she heard the tragic news about her friend, she burst into tears immediately.
- The little boy burst into tears when he lost his favorite toy at the park.
Other Ways to Say: Start crying suddenly, break into tears
2. Break Down
Meaning: To lose control of your emotions and start crying, usually after trying to hold back tears.
In a Sentence:
- After staying strong for weeks, he finally broke down at his father’s funeral.
- She broke down in the middle of her presentation when the stress became too much.
Other Ways to Say: Lose it emotionally, fall apart
3. Cry Your Eyes Out
Meaning: To cry very hard and for a long time, often until you’re exhausted.
In a Sentence:
- After the breakup, she cried her eyes out for three days straight.
- I cried my eyes out watching that emotional movie last night.
Other Ways to Say: Cry heavily, weep profusely
4. Shed Tears
Meaning: To cry or let tears fall, often in a more gentle or controlled way.
In a Sentence:
- Even the toughest soldiers shed tears when they returned home to their families.
- She shed tears of joy when her daughter graduated from university.
Other Ways to Say: Let tears fall, weep gently
5. Choke Up
Meaning: To have difficulty speaking because you’re about to cry or are trying not to cry.
In a Sentence:
- The groom choked up while reading his wedding vows to his bride.
- Whenever he talks about his late mother, he chokes up and can’t continue.
Other Ways to Say: Get emotional, become tearful
6. Well Up
Meaning: To have tears begin to form in your eyes, often before actually crying.
In a Sentence:
- Tears welled up in her eyes as she listened to the touching tribute.
- His eyes welled up with emotion when he saw his childhood home again.
Other Ways to Say: Tears form, eyes water
7. Bawl Your Eyes Out
Meaning: To cry very loudly and uncontrollably, often like a child would cry.
In a Sentence:
- The baby bawled his eyes out all night because he was teething.
- She bawled her eyes out after receiving the devastating diagnosis.
Other Ways to Say: Wail loudly, sob uncontrollably
8. Turn On the Waterworks
Meaning: To start crying, sometimes used when someone cries to manipulate others or get sympathy.
In a Sentence:
- Whenever she wants something from her parents, she turns on the waterworks.
- The child turned on the waterworks to avoid getting punished for breaking the vase.
Other Ways to Say: Start fake crying, cry for effect
9. Cry Like a Baby
Meaning: To cry in a very emotional, uncontrolled way, similar to how an infant cries.
In a Sentence:
- Even grown men cried like babies during that heart-wrenching movie scene.
- I’m not ashamed to admit I cried like a baby at my daughter’s wedding.
Other Ways to Say: Sob heavily, weep uncontrollably
10. Have a Good Cry
Meaning: To allow yourself to cry freely, which often makes you feel better afterward.
In a Sentence:
- Sometimes you just need to have a good cry to release all the pent-up emotions.
- After having a good cry, she felt relieved and ready to face the challenges ahead.
Other Ways to Say: Let it all out, cry it out
11. Cry Your Heart Out
Meaning: To cry with deep emotion and sadness, expressing your innermost feelings.
In a Sentence:
- She cried her heart out when her best friend moved to another country.
- He cried his heart out after losing his beloved pet of fifteen years.
Other Ways to Say: Cry deeply, weep from the heart
12. Reduce to Tears
Meaning: To make someone cry, usually by saying or doing something that deeply affects them.
In a Sentence:
- The teacher’s harsh criticism reduced the sensitive student to tears.
- The beautiful surprise party reduced her to tears of happiness.
Other Ways to Say: Make someone cry, bring to tears
13. Bring to Tears
Meaning: To cause someone to cry through emotional impact.
In a Sentence:
- The soldier’s reunion with his children brought everyone to tears.
- That powerful speech about climate change brought the audience to tears.
Other Ways to Say: Make cry, move to tears
14. Tears Stream Down
Meaning: Tears flowing continuously down someone’s face, usually during intense crying.
In a Sentence:
- Tears streamed down her face as she read the farewell letter from her grandmother.
- Tears were streaming down his cheeks during the entire memorial service.
Other Ways to Say: Tears flow down, tears roll down
15. Get Teary-Eyed
Meaning: To have tears in your eyes without fully crying, often when touched by something.
In a Sentence:
- I always get teary-eyed when I watch videos of military homecomings.
- He got teary-eyed remembering the good times with his college friends.
Other Ways to Say: Eyes water, become misty-eyed
16. Cry Buckets
Meaning: To cry a large amount, as if producing buckets full of tears.
In a Sentence:
- She cried buckets when her favorite character died in the TV series.
- We all cried buckets at the funeral; it was such a tragic loss.
Other Ways to Say: Cry a lot, shed many tears
17. Break Into Sobs
Meaning: To suddenly start sobbing or crying heavily.
In a Sentence:
- When she saw the surprise birthday party, she broke into sobs of joy.
- The witness broke into sobs while recounting the traumatic incident in court.
Other Ways to Say: Start sobbing, begin crying heavily
18. Sob Uncontrollably
Meaning: To cry with such intensity that you cannot stop or control yourself.
In a Sentence:
- After hearing about the accident, she sobbed uncontrollably for hours.
- The child sobbed uncontrollably when separated from his mother on the first day of school.
Other Ways to Say: Cry without control, weep unstoppably
19. Weep Openly
Meaning: To cry in public without trying to hide your tears or emotions.
In a Sentence:
- Many people wept openly during the national day of mourning.
- He wasn’t afraid to weep openly at the touching ceremony honoring his mentor.
Other Ways to Say: Cry publicly, shed tears openly
20. Melt Into Tears
Meaning: To gradually begin crying as emotions overwhelm you.
In a Sentence:
- When she saw her childhood photographs, she melted into tears with nostalgia.
- He melted into tears when he heard his daughter’s voice after years of separation.
Other Ways to Say: Dissolve into tears, gradually start crying
21. Cry a River
Meaning: To cry a lot, producing many tears (sometimes used sarcastically).
In a Sentence:
- She cried a river when her boyfriend broke up with her before prom.
- Oh, cry me a river—everyone has to work on weekends sometimes!
Other Ways to Say: Cry excessively, shed countless tears
22. Fight Back Tears
Meaning: To try hard not to cry, attempting to control your emotions.
In a Sentence:
- He fought back tears as he delivered the eulogy for his best friend.
- She fought back tears during the entire job interview, trying to stay professional.
Other Ways to Say: Hold back tears, suppress crying
23. Hold Back Tears
Meaning: To prevent yourself from crying by controlling your emotions.
In a Sentence:
- The brave mother held back tears as she said goodbye to her son at the airport.
- It was hard to hold back tears when watching the documentary about abandoned animals.
Other Ways to Say: Keep from crying, restrain tears
24. Tear Up
Meaning: To get tears in your eyes, beginning to cry slightly.
In a Sentence:
- I always tear up during the national anthem at sporting events.
- She teared up when receiving the employee of the year award.
Other Ways to Say: Get watery eyes, start to cry
25. Cry Crocodile Tears
Meaning: To cry fake tears or pretend to be sad when you’re not actually upset.
In a Sentence:
- Don’t be fooled by his apology—he’s just crying crocodile tears to avoid punishment.
- The politician cried crocodile tears about poverty while living in a mansion.
Other Ways to Say: Fake cry, pretend to be sad
26. Dissolve Into Tears
Meaning: To suddenly and completely start crying, often losing composure.
In a Sentence:
- Upon hearing the news of her acceptance to medical school, she dissolved into tears of joy.
- He dissolved into tears when he realized he had lost his wedding ring.
Other Ways to Say: Break down crying, collapse into tears
27. Cry Into Your Pillow
Meaning: To cry privately, usually in bed, often to hide your tears from others.
In a Sentence:
- After the argument with her parents, she went to her room and cried into her pillow.
- Many nights I cried into my pillow, feeling lonely and homesick.
Other Ways to Say: Cry privately, weep alone
28. Tears Roll Down
Meaning: Tears falling down your cheeks in a continuous stream.
In a Sentence:
- Tears rolled down her face as she watched the sunset on her last day in the city.
- Silent tears rolled down his cheeks during the moving performance.
Other Ways to Say: Tears fall down, tears stream down
29. On the Verge of Tears
Meaning: Being very close to crying, about to start crying at any moment.
In a Sentence:
- She was on the verge of tears throughout the entire emotional conversation.
- The exhausted nurse was on the verge of tears after working a 16-hour shift.
Other Ways to Say: About to cry, nearly crying
30. Cry Yourself to Sleep
Meaning: To cry so much that you eventually fall asleep from exhaustion.
In a Sentence:
- After the breakup, he cried himself to sleep every night for a week.
- The heartbroken girl cried herself to sleep, clutching her teddy bear.
Other Ways to Say: Weep until sleeping, cry until exhausted
31. Blubber
Meaning: To cry noisily and often in an unattractive or childish way.
In a Sentence:
- Stop blubbering and tell me what happened so I can help you.
- The child blubbered uncontrollably when he couldn’t find his mother in the store.
Other Ways to Say: Cry loudly, sob noisily
32. Wail
Meaning: To cry out loudly in grief or pain, making a long, high-pitched sound.
In a Sentence:
- The mourners wailed at the graveside during the traditional funeral ceremony.
- She wailed in anguish when she heard about the tragic accident.
Other Ways to Say: Cry loudly, lament vocally
33. Get Emotional
Meaning: To become affected by feelings to the point of crying or nearly crying.
In a Sentence:
- He always gets emotional when talking about his grandmother’s sacrifices.
- Don’t get emotional—it’s just a movie, not real life!
Other Ways to Say: Become tearful, get affected emotionally
34. Eyes Brim With Tears
Meaning: To have tears filling your eyes to the point they’re about to overflow.
In a Sentence:
- Her eyes brimmed with tears as she listened to her daughter’s wedding speech.
- His eyes brimmed with tears of pride watching his son graduate.
Other Ways to Say: Eyes fill with tears, tears well up
35. Choked With Emotion
Meaning: To be so overcome with feelings that you can barely speak or are about to cry.
In a Sentence:
- Choked with emotion, she could barely thank everyone for their support.
- The veteran was choked with emotion as he revisited the war memorial.
Other Ways to Say: Overcome with feeling, too emotional to speak
36. Snivel
Meaning: To cry or complain in a weak, whining way, often while sniffling.
In a Sentence:
- Stop sniveling and face your problems with courage instead.
- The defeated player sniveled in the corner after losing the championship.
Other Ways to Say: Whine tearfully, cry weakly
37. Voice Breaks
Meaning: When your voice cracks or changes tone because you’re trying not to cry.
In a Sentence:
- His voice broke with emotion as he announced his retirement from the team.
- Her voice broke several times while reading the heartfelt letter from her son.
Other Ways to Say: Voice cracks, voice wavers
38. Overcome With Emotion
Meaning: To be so affected by feelings that you cry or can’t control your reaction.
In a Sentence:
- She was overcome with emotion when reunited with her childhood best friend.
- The singer was overcome with emotion during his final concert performance.
Other Ways to Say: Overwhelmed emotionally, emotionally moved
39. Moved to Tears
Meaning: To be so touched or affected by something that it makes you cry.
In a Sentence:
- The entire audience was moved to tears by the powerful documentary.
- I was moved to tears by the generosity of strangers during the crisis.
Other Ways to Say: Touched deeply, emotionally affected
40. Whimper
Meaning: To make weak, soft crying sounds, often from pain, fear, or sadness.
In a Sentence:
- The injured puppy whimpered softly until the veterinarian arrived.
- She whimpered in her sleep, still affected by the nightmare.
Other Ways to Say: Cry softly, make sad sounds
41. Cry Like There’s No Tomorrow
Meaning: To cry very intensely and without restraint, as if it’s your last chance to cry.
In a Sentence:
- When her team won the championship, she cried like there was no tomorrow.
- He cried like there was no tomorrow after watching that emotional finale.
Other Ways to Say: Cry intensely, weep without limit
42. Tears of Joy
Meaning: Crying because you’re extremely happy, not sad.
In a Sentence:
- She shed tears of joy when she held her newborn baby for the first time.
- Tears of joy streamed down his face as he accepted the prestigious award.
Other Ways to Say: Happy tears, cry from happiness
43. Lump in Your Throat
Meaning: The tight feeling in your throat when you’re trying not to cry.
In a Sentence:
- I had a lump in my throat throughout the entire memorial service.
- She spoke with a lump in her throat, barely holding back her emotions.
Other Ways to Say: Throat tightness, feeling choked up
44. Eyes Glisten With Tears
Meaning: When your eyes look shiny because they’re filled with unshed tears.
In a Sentence:
- Her eyes glistened with tears as she accepted the heartfelt apology.
- His eyes glistened with tears of pride watching his daughter perform on stage.
Other Ways to Say: Eyes shine with tears, teary eyes
45. Cry Real Tears
Meaning: To cry genuine tears, not fake ones, showing true emotion.
In a Sentence:
- This time I could tell he was crying real tears of remorse, not just for show.
- She cried real tears when apologizing for her mistake.
Other Ways to Say: Genuinely cry, shed authentic tears
46. Burst Out Crying
Meaning: To suddenly start crying loudly and without warning.
In a Sentence:
- The child burst out crying when she saw her scraped knee bleeding.
- He burst out crying in the middle of the restaurant, unable to contain his grief.
Other Ways to Say: Start crying suddenly, break into crying
47. Cry All the Way
Meaning: To cry continuously throughout an entire event or period.
In a Sentence:
- She cried all the way through the movie—it was so touching.
- He cried all the way home after saying goodbye to his family.
Other Ways to Say: Cry throughout, cry the entire time
48. Dry Your Eyes
Meaning: To stop crying and wipe away your tears (often used as advice or comfort).
In a Sentence:
- Come on, dry your eyes and let’s figure out how to solve this problem together.
- She dried her eyes and decided to be strong for her younger siblings.
Other Ways to Say: Stop crying, wipe your tears
49. Tears of Frustration
Meaning: Crying because you’re extremely frustrated or angry, not necessarily sad.
In a Sentence:
- She shed tears of frustration after failing the driving test for the third time.
- Tears of frustration rolled down his face when the computer crashed again.
Other Ways to Say: Cry from frustration, frustrated crying
50. Weep Bitterly
Meaning: To cry intensely with deep sadness or regret.
In a Sentence:
- He wept bitterly after realizing the consequences of his actions.
- She wept bitterly at the grave of her beloved grandmother.
Other Ways to Say: Cry deeply, weep sorrowfully
51. Cry Foul
Meaning: To loudly protest or complain about something unfair (not literally crying, but expressing strong objection).
In a Sentence:
- The opposition party cried foul when the election results were announced.
- Players cried foul after the controversial referee decision cost them the game.
Other Ways to Say: Protest loudly, complain strongly
52. Eyes Swim With Tears
Meaning: When your eyes are so full of tears that everything looks blurry.
In a Sentence:
- Her eyes swam with tears as she listened to the touching tribute.
- His eyes swam with tears, making it impossible to read the letter clearly.
Other Ways to Say: Eyes fill with tears, vision blurred by tears
53. Let the Tears Flow
Meaning: To allow yourself to cry freely without holding back.
In a Sentence:
- The therapist encouraged her to let the tears flow and release her emotions.
- Sometimes you just need to let the tears flow instead of bottling everything up.
Other Ways to Say: Cry freely, release tears
54. Cry on Someone’s Shoulder
Meaning: To seek comfort from someone by expressing your sadness to them.
In a Sentence:
- After the breakup, she needed a friend’s shoulder to cry on.
- He always lets his sister cry on his shoulder when she’s having problems.
Other Ways to Say: Seek comfort, share sadness with someone
55. Work Yourself Into Tears
Meaning: To gradually become so upset or emotional that you start crying.
In a Sentence:
- Don’t work yourself into tears over something that hasn’t even happened yet.
- She worked herself into tears worrying about the exam results.
Other Ways to Say: Make yourself cry, upset yourself to tears
56. Cry Out
Meaning: To shout or make a loud sound because of pain, fear, or strong emotion.
In a Sentence:
- She cried out in pain when she twisted her ankle on the stairs.
- He cried out in despair when he received the rejection letter.
Other Ways to Say: Shout out, exclaim loudly
57. Silent Tears
Meaning: Crying quietly without making any sound, with only tears falling.
In a Sentence:
- Silent tears streamed down her face as she watched the sad movie scene.
- He shed silent tears during the memorial, trying to stay composed.
Other Ways to Say: Cry silently, weep quietly
58. Cry Over Spilled Milk
Meaning: To waste time being upset about something that has already happened and cannot be changed.
In a Sentence:
- There’s no use crying over spilled milk—let’s focus on fixing the problem now.
- Stop crying over spilled milk and start planning your next move.
Other Ways to Say: Regret the past, dwell on mistakes
59. Tears Spring to Eyes
Meaning: Tears appearing suddenly in your eyes, often unexpectedly.
In a Sentence:
- Tears sprang to her eyes when she heard the beautiful song from her childhood.
- Tears sprang to his eyes at the surprise reunion with his old friends.
Other Ways to Say: Tears appear suddenly, tears form quickly
60. Have a Cry
Meaning: To take time to cry, often as a way of dealing with emotions.
In a Sentence:
- Go ahead and have a cry—you’ll feel better after you let it out.
- Sometimes I just need to have a cry to release all the stress I’m holding.
Other Ways to Say: Take time to cry; allow yourself to weep.
61. Cry Wolf
Meaning: To raise a false alarm or ask for help when you don’t really need it (making people not believe you later).
In a Sentence:
- He’s cried wolf so many times that nobody believes him anymore.
- Don’t cry wolf about being sick unless you really are, or people won’t trust you.
Other Ways to Say: False alarm, fake emergency
62. Misty-Eyed
Meaning: Having eyes that are slightly wet with tears, usually from being emotionally touched.
In a Sentence:
- Everyone got misty-eyed during the bride and groom’s first dance.
- The coach became misty-eyed when his players presented him with a retirement gift.
Other Ways to Say: Teary-eyed, eyes watering
63. Sob Your Heart Out
Meaning: To cry very intensely and deeply, releasing all your emotions.
In a Sentence:
- After holding it in all day, she finally sobbed her heart out in private.
- He sobbed his heart out when his beloved dog passed away after 14 years.
Other Ways to Say: Cry deeply, weep intensely
How to Use Crying Idioms Effectively
Now that you’ve learned over 60 idioms for crying, here are some tips for using them naturally:
1. Consider the Intensity
Different idioms convey different levels of crying:
- Mild: tear up, get misty-eyed, eyes well up
- Moderate: shed tears, break down, start crying
- Intense: bawl your eyes out, cry your heart out, sob uncontrollably
2. Match the Context
Choose idioms that fit the situation:
- Joyful occasions: tears of joy, misty-eyed, moved to tears
- Sad events: cry your eyes out, weep bitterly, sob your heart out
- Trying not to cry: fight back tears, hold back tears, choke up
- Fake crying: cry crocodile tears, turn on the waterworks
3. Consider Formality
Some idioms are more casual than others:
- Formal/Literary: shed tears, weep openly, overcome with emotion
- Casual/Conversational: bawl your eyes out, cry like a baby, have a good cry
4. Don’t Overuse
While idioms make your English more colorful, using too many in one conversation or piece of writing can sound unnatural. Mix idioms with straightforward descriptions.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Wrong: “She burst into cry.”
✅ Right: “She burst into tears.”
❌ Wrong: “He cried his eye out” (singular)
✅ Right: “He cried his eyes out” (plural)
❌ Wrong: “Tears welled down her face.”
✅ Right: “Tears welled up in her eyes” or “Tears rolled down her face”
❌ Wrong: “She broke up crying.”
✅ Right: “She broke down crying.”
Practice Exercise
Try using these idioms in your own sentences. Think about:
- A time when you or someone you know cried
- A movie or book scene that involves crying
- Different situations where people might cry (weddings, funerals, graduations, etc.)
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some idioms for crying hard?
Idioms like “cry one’s eyes out,” “cry buckets,” and “sob uncontrollably” show intense crying.
What are common idioms for crying in English?
Examples include “shed tears,” “burst into tears,” and “break down in tears.”
Are there any funny idioms for crying?
Yes, idioms like “blubber like a baby” or “cry a river” can be used humorously.
How can I describe a crying expression in words?
You can say “tears rolling down,” “eyes wet with sorrow,” or “weeping silently.”
How do I show a crying expression in text?
Use phrases like “sniffling,” “sobbing,” or emojis like 😢 to express crying in messages.
What are some idioms for tears of joy?
Idioms like “shed tears of joy,” “cry tears of happiness,” or “tears of delight” fit perfectly.
Can you give 5 idioms on sadness?
“Weep bitterly,” “tear one’s hair out,” “cry in one’s sleeve,” “break down in tears,” and “moan and groan.”
What are common phrases for crying?
Phrases include “burst into tears,” “sob heavily,” “shed tears,” and “blubber like a baby.”
Final Thoughts
Crying is a natural part of life, and using idioms makes expressing emotions simple, vivid, and relatable. By learning these 60+ idioms, you can describe feelings more clearly and make your writing or speech truly engaging and memorable.
Start using these idioms in your conversations, texts, and stories today. Practice them regularly to sound confident, natural, and expressive. Don’t wait, pick a few idioms now and see how they transform the way you share emotions with others.
