45 Idioms for Crying

When it comes to expressing deep emotions, idioms for crying can add a poetic touch to your language. These colorful phrases not only convey the act of crying but also capture the rich tapestry of feelings behind it, from sorrow to joy.

Imagine being able to articulate your emotions more vividly, making your conversations resonate on a deeper level. Whether you’re comforting a friend or reflecting on your own feelings, this article will introduce you to idioms that beautifully encapsulate the experience of crying. Let’s dive in and explore these expressive gems!

Idioms for Crying

1. Crying over spilled milk

• Meaning: Wasting time worrying about something that has already happened and cannot be changed.
• In a Sentence: She was upset about her mistake, but I told her it was no use crying over spilled milk.
• Other Ways to Say: Wasting time on the past, lamenting what can’t be changed.

2. Shed tears

• Meaning: To cry or weep, often in response to strong emotion.
• In a Sentence: He shed tears of joy when he heard the good news.
• Other Ways to Say: Weep, show emotion.

3. Cry one’s heart out

• Meaning: To cry intensely or for a long period.
• In a Sentence: After the breakup, she cried her heart out for days.
• Other Ways to Say: Weep profusely, sob uncontrollably.

4. To be in tears

• Meaning: To be crying or on the verge of crying.
• In a Sentence: She was in tears after watching the touching movie.
• Other Ways to Say: Crying, feeling emotional.

5. To cry wolf

• Meaning: To raise a false alarm or to exaggerate a situation.
• In a Sentence: He keeps complaining about minor issues; eventually, people will think he’s crying wolf.
• Other Ways to Say: Making false claims, raising unnecessary alarms.

6. Crying for the moon

• Meaning: Desiring something unattainable.
• In a Sentence: Wishing for a perfect relationship is like crying for the moon.
• Other Ways to Say: Longing for the impossible, yearning for the unattainable.

7. Burst into tears

• Meaning: To suddenly start crying.
• In a Sentence: When she heard the news, she burst into tears.
• Other Ways to Say: Start crying suddenly, break down.

8. Idioms for Crying Tearjerker

• Meaning: A story, movie, or song that evokes strong emotions, often leading to tears.
• In a Sentence: That film was a real tearjerker; I couldn’t stop crying.
• Other Ways to Say: Emotionally moving, heart-wrenching.

9. Crying like a baby

• Meaning: Crying loudly and uncontrollably.
• In a Sentence: After losing the game, he was crying like a baby.
• Other Ways to Say: Sobbing loudly, weeping uncontrollably.

10. To have a good cry

• Meaning: To cry for emotional release.
• In a Sentence: Sometimes you just need to have a good cry to feel better.
• Other Ways to Say: Let it all out, have an emotional release.

11. Idioms for Crying To cry foul

• Meaning: To complain about something perceived as unfair.
• In a Sentence: He cried foul when he was called offside during the match.
• Other Ways to Say: Complain about unfairness, raise objections.

12. Crying in the wilderness

• Meaning: To express feelings or opinions that are ignored or unrecognized.
• In a Sentence: She felt like she was crying in the wilderness when no one listened to her concerns.
• Other Ways to Say: Speaking without being heard, voicing unheard opinions.

13. To tear up

• Meaning: To become emotional and start to cry.
• In a Sentence: He teared up while watching the heartfelt reunion.
• Other Ways to Say: Get emotional, well up with tears.

14. To cry for help

• Meaning: To call out for assistance, often in a desperate manner.
• In a Sentence: The child was crying for help when he got lost in the crowd.
• Other Ways to Say: Seek assistance, call out for aid.

15. To cry your eyes out

• Meaning: To cry a lot or for an extended time.
• In a Sentence: After the breakup, she cried her eyes out every night.
• Other Ways to Say: Weep excessively, sob deeply.

16. To be all cried out

• Meaning: To have cried so much that one can no longer cry.
• In a Sentence: After the funeral, I felt all cried out and emotionally drained.
• Other Ways to Say: Emotionally spent, out of tears.

17. To have tears in your eyes

• Meaning: To be on the verge of crying.
• In a Sentence: She had tears in her eyes as she shared her story.
• Other Ways to Say: Almost crying, feeling emotional.

18. To cry in one’s beer

• Meaning: To lament or mourn while drinking alcohol.
• In a Sentence: After losing his job, he spent the night crying in his beer.
• Other Ways to Say: Mourn over drinks, drown sorrows in alcohol.

19. To cry one’s eyes out

• Meaning: To cry intensely and for a long time.
• In a Sentence: She cried her eyes out after the heartbreaking news.
• Other Ways to Say: Sob uncontrollably, weep fiercely.

20. To cry over lost milk

• Meaning: To grieve over something that cannot be changed.
• In a Sentence: It’s pointless to cry over lost milk; we should focus on the future.
• Other Ways to Say: Worrying about the past, regretting what’s done.

21. To cry a river

• Meaning: To cry a lot, often in a way that seems excessive.
• In a Sentence: He cried a river over his breakup, but it’s time to move on.
• Other Ways to Say: Sob excessively, weep profusely.

22. To have a tearful goodbye

• Meaning: A farewell that involves crying.
• In a Sentence: Their tearful goodbye left everyone feeling emotional.
• Other Ways to Say: Emotional farewell, sad parting.

23. To be on the verge of tears

• Meaning: Almost crying; feeling very emotional.
• In a Sentence: She was on the verge of tears after hearing the sad news.
• Other Ways to Say: About to cry, close to tears.

24. To cry for joy

• Meaning: To cry due to overwhelming happiness.
• In a Sentence: She cried for joy when she found out she was pregnant.
• Other Ways to Say: Sobbing with happiness, tears of joy.

25. To cry buckets

• Meaning: To cry a lot or excessively.
• In a Sentence: He cried buckets at the emotional movie.
• Other Ways to Say: Weep a lot, sob heavily.

26. To be a blubbering mess

• Meaning: To cry uncontrollably and be unable to compose oneself.
• In a Sentence: After the heartbreak, she was a blubbering mess.
• Other Ways to Say: Inconsolable, crying excessively.

27. To cry out loud

• Meaning: To cry in a way that can be heard, often expressing strong emotions.
• In a Sentence: He cried out loud when he received the shocking news.
• Other Ways to Say: Sob openly, wail.

28. Idioms for Crying To shed a tear

• Meaning: To cry or express sadness mildly.
• In a Sentence: I shed a tear during the emotional scene in the play.
• Other Ways to Say: Cry lightly, weep.

29. To cry like a waterfall

• Meaning: To cry abundantly and continuously.
• In a Sentence: After the breakup, she cried like a waterfall for hours.
• Other Ways to Say: Sob like a fountain, weep continuously.

30. To cry out in despair

• Meaning: To express sorrow loudly, often in a dramatic way.
• In a Sentence: He cried out in despair when he realized he had lost his job.
• Other Ways to Say: Wail in sadness, shout in grief.

31. To cry in silence

• Meaning: To cry without making noise, often out of shame or embarrassment.
• In a Sentence: She cried in silence, not wanting anyone to see her pain.
• Other Ways to Say: Weep quietly, sob softly.

32. To cry in one’s soup

• Meaning: To be sad or upset, often in a private or self-pitying manner.
• In a Sentence: He sat alone, crying in his soup after the argument.
• Other Ways to Say: Mourn privately, wallow in sadness.

33. To cry for mercy

• Meaning: To plead for compassion, often in a desperate situation.
• In a Sentence: He cried for mercy after realizing the consequences of his actions.
• Other Ways to Say: Plead for forgiveness, beg for compassion.

34. To cry out for attention

• Meaning: To seek recognition or acknowledgment, often through emotional expressions.
• In a Sentence: She felt like she was crying out for attention with her constant complaints.
• Other Ways to Say: Seek validation, ask for recognition.

35. To cry tears of sorrow

• Meaning: To cry as a result of deep sadness.
• In a Sentence: He cried tears of sorrow when he remembered his lost friend.
• Other Ways to Say: Weep in grief, sob in sadness.

36. To cry for the stars

• Meaning: To desire something that is out of reach.
• In a Sentence: Wishing for fame felt like crying for the stars; it seemed so far away.
• Other Ways to Say: Long for the unattainable, yearn for the impossible.

37. To cry for the past

• Meaning: To feel sad about memories or times that cannot be revisited.
• In a Sentence: Sometimes, I find myself crying for the past, reminiscing about old times.
• Other Ways to Say: Mourn lost moments, lament over memories.

38. To cry with laughter

• Meaning: To laugh so hard that it brings tears.
• In a Sentence: The comedian was so funny that I cried with laughter.
• Other Ways to Say: Laugh uncontrollably, giggle until tears come.

39. To cry for change

• Meaning: To express a desire for transformation or improvement.
• In a Sentence: Many are crying for change in the political landscape.
• Other Ways to Say: Advocate for improvement, plead for reform.

40. To cry out in joy

• Meaning: To express happiness loudly and openly.
• In a Sentence: She cried out in joy when she received her acceptance letter.
• Other Ways to Say: Shout for joy, exclaim in happiness.

41. To cry bitter tears

• Meaning: To weep with deep regret or sadness.
• In a Sentence: He cried bitter tears after realizing his mistakes.
• Other Ways to Say: Weep in remorse, sob in sorrow.

42. To cry in relief

• Meaning: To cry as a response to a situation that has resolved positively.
• In a Sentence: She cried in relief when she found her lost dog.
• Other Ways to Say: Weep with gratitude, sob with happiness.

43. To cry during a farewell

• Meaning: To express sadness during a goodbye.
• In a Sentence: They cried during the farewell party, knowing they would miss each other.
• Other Ways to Say: Weep at parting, sob during goodbyes.

44. To cry for joy and sorrow

• Meaning: To experience mixed emotions that result in tears.
• In a Sentence: At the wedding, she cried for joy and sorrow, feeling both happy and nostalgic.
• Other Ways to Say: Weep with mixed feelings, sob in bittersweet emotion.

45. To cry with pride

• Meaning: To shed tears due to overwhelming pride and happiness.
• In a Sentence: He cried with pride as he watched his daughter graduate.
• Other Ways to Say: Sobbing with joy, tearful with pride.

Quiz 45 Idioms for Crying

1. What does “crying over spilled milk” mean?

• A) Worrying about the past
• B) Crying for no reason
• C) Overreacting to a situation
  Answer: A

2. “To cry one’s heart out” refers to:

• A) Crying briefly
• B) Crying intensely for a long time
• C) Crying quietly
  Answer: B

3. What does “to cry foul” imply?

• A) To complain about something unfair
• B) To cry loudly
• C) To seek help
  Answer: A

4. “Crying like a baby” means:

• A) Crying softly
• B) Crying loudly and uncontrollably
• C) Crying for attention
  Answer: B

5. What does “to cry for joy” mean?

• A) Crying due to sadness
• B) Crying due to happiness
• C) Crying without emotion
  Answer: B

Conclusion

idioms for crying, we uncover a wealth of expressive phrases that beautifully encapsulate the complex emotions tied to tears. From sorrowful moments to joyful outbursts, these idioms enrich our language and allow us to connect more deeply with our feelings and those of others. By incorporating these vivid expressions into our conversations, we can articulate the nuances of human emotion, making our communication more relatable and impactful. Embrace these idioms to enhance your emotional vocabulary and express yourself more fully in every situation.