Idioms add color and emotion to our language, helping us describe feelings in vivid, memorable ways. When it comes to tears, English offers dozens of expressions that capture sorrow, frustration, relief, and even joy. Understanding “crying idioms” not only broadens your vocabulary but also deepens your ability to empathize with others’ experiences. Whether you’re reading a novel, watching a movie, or consoling a friend, these phrases will help you recognize the subtle shades of emotion hidden between the lines.
In this post, you’ll explore forty‑five idioms related to crying, discover what they mean, and see how to weave them naturally into conversation. Afterward, try a short exercise to test your new knowledge, and keep these expressions handy for the next time life turns on the waterworks—literally or figuratively!
Idioms for Crying
1. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: To be upset about something that cannot be changed.
In a Sentence: Even though the project was canceled at the last minute, Elena refused to cry over spilled milk and immediately began brainstorming her next big idea.
Other Ways to Say: Move on, Let it go
2. Burst into tears
Meaning: To start crying suddenly.
In a Sentence: When the surprise video message from her grandparents played on the screen, Maya burst into tears of happiness before anyone could hand her a tissue.
Other Ways to Say: Break down, Start sobbing
3. Cry one’s eyes out
Meaning: To cry intensely for a long time.
In a Sentence: After saying goodbye to her exchange‑student friends at the airport, Lena went home and cried her eyes out until sunrise painted the curtains gold.
Other Ways to Say: Weep uncontrollably, Sob hard
4. Cry me a river
Meaning: A sarcastic way to tell someone they are overreacting with tears.
In a Sentence: “Cry me a river,” Jake muttered when his little brother complained about chores as if he had been asked to climb Mount Everest.
Other Ways to Say: Stop whining, Get over it
5. Have a good cry
Meaning: To intentionally allow oneself to cry in order to feel better.
In a Sentence: Sometimes, after a stressful week of exams and rehearsals, Alina dims the lights, turns on a sad playlist, and has a good cry before bouncing back with renewed energy.
Other Ways to Say: Let it all out, Release your emotions
6. Tears of joy
Meaning: Tears shed because of happiness rather than sadness.
In a Sentence: When the adoption agency called with the long‑awaited news, both parents dissolved into tears of joy that sparkled like tiny diamonds on their cheeks.
Other Ways to Say: Happy tears, Joyful weeping
7. Cry wolf
Meaning: To raise a false alarm so often that people stop believing you.
In a Sentence: After Mateo kept pretending he was sick to skip practice, his coach warned that one day he’d cry wolf and no one would come when he genuinely needed help.
Other Ways to Say: Sound a false alarm, Exaggerate danger
8. On the verge of tears
Meaning: Very close to crying.
In a Sentence: Standing before the microphone, Priya was on the verge of tears, her voice trembling like a violin string just before the first note.
Other Ways to Say: Nearly crying, Choked up
9. Break down in tears
Meaning: To lose emotional control and start crying.
In a Sentence: During the memorial speech, even the usually stoic principal broke down in tears, and the entire auditorium fell silent out of respect.
Other Ways to Say: Collapse emotionally, Fall apart
10. In floods of tears
Meaning: Crying so much that tears seem to flow like a flood.
In a Sentence: When the puppy was finally found safe, the children were in floods of tears, a mixture of relief and leftover fear pouring down their faces.
Other Ways to Say: Sobbing heavily, Weeping torrents
11. Move someone to tears
Meaning: To make someone cry because of strong emotion.
In a Sentence: The violin solo at the charity concert moved the entire audience to tears, each note resonating with memories they didn’t know they still carried.
Other Ways to Say: Touch deeply, Stir to weeping
12. Tears well up
Meaning: Tears begin to form in the eyes.
In a Sentence: Tears welled up in Dan’s eyes when he opened the old photo album and saw his late father’s handwriting on the first page.
Other Ways to Say: Eyes fill with tears, Moist‑eyed
13. Turn on the waterworks
Meaning: To start crying, sometimes theatrically or on purpose.
In a Sentence: Realizing she might escape punishment by looking pitiful, the toddler turned on the waterworks faster than you could say “timeout.”
Other Ways to Say: Turn on the tears, Fake sobbing
14. Shed tears
Meaning: To cry (formal or poetic).
In a Sentence: No one expected the stern general to shed tears during the medal ceremony, yet there they were, glistening like dew on a steel statue.
Other Ways to Say: Weep, Let tears fall
15. Tearjerker
Meaning: Something (usually a movie or story) that makes people cry.
In a Sentence: The film was such a tearjerker that even the ushers kept a box of tissues handy for viewers emerging with red noses and puffy eyes.
Other Ways to Say: Heart‑wrencher, Sob story
16. Tears rolling down one’s cheeks
Meaning: Tears visibly flowing along the face.
In a Sentence: As the choir’s final note faded, you could see tears rolling down everyone’s cheeks like silent raindrops tracing glass.
Other Ways to Say: Tears streaming, Wet cheeks
17. Cry oneself to sleep
Meaning: To cry until falling asleep.
In a Sentence: After the breakup, Sasha cried herself to sleep every night for a week, clutching the sweater that still smelled like winter pine.
Other Ways to Say: Sob to sleep, Weep until asleep
18. Cry on someone’s shoulder
Meaning: To seek comfort by expressing sorrow to someone.
In a Sentence: Whenever life feels overwhelming, Jonah knows he can cry on his sister’s shoulder while she listens without judgment and passes the hot cocoa.
Other Ways to Say: Seek comfort, Lean on someone
19. Tear up
Meaning: To get watery eyes, usually from emotion.
In a Sentence: Even the comedian teared up when the crowd surprised him with a standing ovation for his charity work.
Other Ways to Say: Mist up, Get glassy‑eyed
20. Eyes brimming with tears
Meaning: Eyes filled to the edge with tears.
In a Sentence: Her eyes were brimming with tears as she read the acceptance letter she once thought impossible.
Other Ways to Say: Tear‑filled eyes, Moist gaze
21. Eyes misted over
Meaning: Vision becomes blurry with tears.
In a Sentence: Grandfather’s eyes misted over when he heard his wartime regiment mentioned during the ceremony.
Other Ways to Say: Eyes clouded, Vision blurred by tears
22. Choke back tears
Meaning: To struggle not to cry.
In a Sentence: He choked back tears while delivering the eulogy, gripping the podium so hard his knuckles turned white.
Other Ways to Say: Hold back tears, Fight tears
23. Fight back tears
Meaning: To resist the urge to cry.
In a Sentence: The captain fought back tears as she pinned medals on her departing crew, pride and sadness wrestling in her throat.
Other Ways to Say: Hold it together, Keep from crying
24. Tears stream down
Meaning: Tears flow steadily down the face.
In a Sentence: As the national anthem played, tears streamed down his face, each drop reflecting stadium lights like falling stars.
Other Ways to Say: Tears pour down, Weep openly
25. Tear‑stained face
Meaning: A face marked by dried or fresh tears.
In a Sentence: After the emotional farewell, her tear‑stained face and smeared mascara told the story without a single word.
Other Ways to Say: Wet‑cheeked, Tear‑marked
26. Be in tears
Meaning: To be crying.
In a Sentence: By the time the plot twist was revealed, the entire front row was in tears, clutching popcorn buckets like lifelines.
Other Ways to Say: Crying, Weeping
27. Tug at one’s heartstrings
Meaning: To evoke strong feelings of sadness or sympathy.
In a Sentence: The rescue‑dog commercial tugged at everyone’s heartstrings so effectively that donations doubled overnight.
Other Ways to Say: Pull on emotions, Stir sympathy
28. Make your heart bleed
Meaning: To cause deep pity or sorrow.
In a Sentence: Hearing about families displaced by the flood made her heart bleed, prompting her to organize a relief drive before sunrise.
Other Ways to Say: Break your heart, Fill you with sorrow
29. Wipe away tears
Meaning: To remove tears from the face.
In a Sentence: After the heartfelt speech, the bride wiped away tears with the corner of her veil and flashed a radiant smile at the guests.
Other Ways to Say: Dab tears, Dry your eyes
30. Cry bitter tears
Meaning: To cry with intense sadness or resentment.
In a Sentence: When the verdict was announced, the defendant’s mother cried bitter tears that echoed through the marble courtroom.
Other Ways to Say: Weep bitterly, Shed anguished tears
31. Cry buckets
Meaning: To cry a lot.
In a Sentence: Lucas cried buckets during the farewell episode, leaving a small mountain of crumpled tissues on the coffee table.
Other Ways to Say: Cry rivers, Sob endlessly
32. Bawl like a baby
Meaning: To cry loudly and uncontrollably.
In a Sentence: The normally tough linebacker bawled like a baby when he saw his family waiting in the end zone with a surprise birthday banner.
Other Ways to Say: Wail loudly, Sob loudly
33. Sob uncontrollably
Meaning: To cry without being able to stop.
In a Sentence: She sobbed uncontrollably when the vet delivered the grim news, her shoulders shaking as if caught in a storm.
Other Ways to Say: Cry helplessly, Weep nonstop
34. Break someone’s heart
Meaning: To cause great emotional pain.
In a Sentence: It broke his heart to see his childhood home demolished, memories collapsing with every swing of the wrecking ball.
Other Ways to Say: Devastate, Crush emotionally
35. Boo‑hoo
Meaning: An imitation of loud crying; sometimes used playfully.
In a Sentence: “Boo‑hoo,” teased his sister, handing him ice cream to cheer him up after the movie ending left him shattered.
Other Ways to Say: Wah‑wah, Cry loudly
36. Cry for the moon
Meaning: To desire something impossible.
In a Sentence: Asking for a perfect score without studying is like crying for the moon, Mom reminded him gently but firmly.
Other Ways to Say: Ask the impossible, Dream unrealistically
37. Cry crocodile tears
Meaning: To pretend to be sad or sympathetic.
In a Sentence: The bully’s apology was laced with crocodile tears, fooling no one in the classroom.
Other Ways to Say: Fake sadness, Insincere tears
38. All cried out
Meaning: Too exhausted to cry anymore.
In a Sentence: After hours of grieving, she felt all cried out, her body empty yet strangely calm.
Other Ways to Say: Tears dried, Emotionally drained
39. A lump in one’s throat
Meaning: A tight feeling signaling the urge to cry.
In a Sentence: When the orchestra began her late father’s favorite song, a lump formed in her throat, and she could barely breathe.
Other Ways to Say: Choked up, Tight‑throated
40. Tear at someone’s heart
Meaning: To cause deep emotional pain.
In a Sentence: Watching the documentary on abandoned pets tore at her heart so fiercely that she volunteered at the shelter the next day.
Other Ways to Say: Wrench the heart, Hurt deeply
41. Melt into tears
Meaning: To start crying gently and gradually.
In a Sentence: As the nostalgic melody floated through the café, she melted into tears, each note unlocking a different memory.
Other Ways to Say: Dissolve into tears, Slowly weep
42. Cry in one’s beer
Meaning: To feel sorry for oneself, often while drinking.
In a Sentence: After the layoffs, he spent the evening crying in his beer at the corner pub instead of polishing his résumé.
Other Ways to Say: Mope, Self‑pity party
43. Tears sprang to one’s eyes
Meaning: Tears appeared suddenly.
In a Sentence: Tears sprang to her eyes the moment she spotted her lost cat sitting proudly on the doorstep.
Other Ways to Say: Eyes filled instantly, Sudden tears
44. Tear up at the corners of one’s eyes
Meaning: Tears begin forming at the outer edges of the eyes.
In a Sentence: He tried to stay composed, but he teared up at the corners of his eyes when his mentor praised him publicly.
Other Ways to Say: Eyes moisten, Slightly tear up
45. Cry blue murder
Meaning: To protest loudly and bitterly, often with tears.
In a Sentence: The toddler cried blue murder when her favorite toy was taken away for bedtime, waking the entire household in the process.
Other Ways to Say: Scream bloody murder, Wail loudly
Exercise to Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct idiom:
- After the last goodbye at the station, Marcus _______ his eyes out all night.
- Don’t _______ spilled milk; we can still fix the presentation before Monday.
- The sad puppy commercial really _______ at my heartstrings.
- She tried to _______ back tears during her farewell speech.
- The actor’s performance was such a _______ that the audience needed tissues.
- When the cake collapsed, the kids _______ blue murder until a new one arrived.
- He kept sounding the alarm so often that people said he would _______ wolf.
- By the fifth rewrite, I felt completely _______ cried out and decided to sleep.
- The soldier’s surprise homecoming moved everyone to _______.
- Stop asking for a unicorn; you’re _______ for the moon.
- The coach warned us not to _______ buckets over a lost game—there’s always a rematch.
- Mia apologized with obvious _______ tears, and nobody believed her act.
Answers:
cried, cry over, tugged, choke, tearjerker, cried, cry, all, tears, crying, cry, crocodile
Conclusion
Crying is universal, and so are the expressions we use to describe it. From playful sarcasm to heartfelt sorrow, these forty‑five idioms give you countless ways to paint emotional scenes with words. Practice them in conversations, stories, or journaling, and notice how your language gains texture and empathy. The next time someone shares a moving tale—or turns on the waterworks—you’ll have just the right phrase at the ready. Keep exploring idioms, and let your communication skills shine with the full spectrum of human feeling.
