50 Idioms for Cry (Meanings and Examples)

Idioms are special phrases that have a hidden meaning different from the words inside them. People use these expressions to make everyday conversations more colorful and fun. Today you will learn fifty handy idioms that relate to the topic of cry.

In this lesson, we will look at idioms that mean shedding tears or feeling sad. Let us get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.

Idioms for Cry

1. Shed tears

Definition: To produce tears from your eyes because of strong emotions.

Used in a Sentence: She started to shed tears when her favorite pet finally came home safe. / Do not shed tears over a broken toy that we can easily fix.

Similar Expressions: Weep / Cry

2. Burst into tears

Definition: To suddenly start crying very quickly without warning.

Used in a Sentence: The little boy did burst into tears when he dropped his ice cream cone. / I felt like I would burst into tears during the sad movie scene.

Similar Expressions: Break down / Weep suddenly

3. Cry one’s eyes out

Definition: To cry extremely hard and for a very long time.

Used in a Sentence: She had to cry her eyes out after losing her lucky necklace at park. / He did not want to cry his eyes out in front of his friends.

Similar Expressions: Weep bitterly / Sob uncontrollably

4. Sob one’s heart out

Definition: To cry with heavy sobs that show deep sadness.

Used in a Sentence: The child began to sob his heart out when he missed the bus. / She sat on her bed and chose to sob her heart out in private.

Similar Expressions: Cry hard / Wail deeply

5. Weep rivers

Definition: To cry a very large amount of tears over something upsetting.

Used in a Sentence: He felt like he could weep rivers after failing the spelling test. / Do not weep rivers because we can try the game again tomorrow.

Similar Expressions: Cry buckets / Shed oceans

6. Cry a river

Definition: To tell someone sarcastically that you do not care about their complaints.

Used in a Sentence: When my brother complained about chores, I told him to cry a river. / She just rolled her eyes and told him to cry a river.

Similar Expressions: Get over it / Deal with it

7. Turn on the waterworks

Definition: To start crying on purpose in order to get attention or sympathy.

Used in a Sentence: Little kids sometimes turn on the waterworks to get an extra cookie. / The clever puppy tried to turn on the waterworks when scolded.

Similar Expressions: Fake tears / Act sad

8. Put on a brave face

Definition: To hide your sadness and try not to cry in public.

Used in a Sentence: He tried to put on a brave face when he scraped his knee. / She had to put on a brave face during her first day at school.

Similar Expressions: Hide tears / Stay strong

9. Keep a stiff upper lip

Definition: To stay strong and avoid crying during a difficult time.

Used in a Sentence: Grandfather taught me to keep a stiff upper lip when things get tough. / She tried to keep a stiff upper lip while waiting for the test results.

Similar Expressions: Remain brave / Hold back tears

10. Lump in the throat

Definition: A tight feeling in your throat that happens when you are about to cry.

Used in a Sentence: I got a lump in the throat while listening to the graduation song. / She felt a lump in her throat during the emotional speech.

Similar Expressions: Choking up / Tight throat

11. Choke up

Definition: To become unable to speak clearly because you are close to crying.

Used in a Sentence: He started to choke up when thanking his parents on stage. / The coach got a bit too choked up during the trophy ceremony.

Similar Expressions: Get emotional / Voice break

12. Eyes well up

Definition: To fill with tears just before you actually start crying.

Used in a Sentence: My eyes well up every time I watch a rescue animal commercial. / Her eyes well up whenever she hears that beautiful lullaby.

Similar Expressions: Tear up / Water up

13. Tear up

Definition: To get watery eyes because of sadness or happiness.

Used in a Sentence: Dad will always tear up at weddings and birthday parties. / Try not to tear up when your favorite character gets hurt.

Similar Expressions: Get misty / Water up

14. Cry like a baby

Definition: To cry loudly and uncontrollably like a young infant.

Used in a Sentence: He began to cry like a baby when he lost his favorite blanket. / I did not mean to cry like a baby over a small cut.

Similar Expressions: Sob loudly / Cry hard

15. Boo hoo

Definition: A sound or phrase used to mock someone’s unnecessary crying.

Used in a Sentence: When he whined about losing the game, the team said boo hoo. / Do not sit around saying boo hoo when you can try again.

Similar Expressions: Stop crying / Quit whining

16. Wring hands

Definition: To twist your fingers together nervously while feeling upset and close to tears.

Used in a Sentence: Mom began to wring her hands while waiting for us to come home. / There is no need to wring your hands over a simple homework mistake.

Similar Expressions: Fret / Worry deeply

17. Take it hard

Definition: To react to bad news with deep sadness and possible tears.

Used in a Sentence: She took it hard when her best friend moved to a new town. / He took the game loss very hard and refused to talk.

Similar Expressions: Suffer deeply / Grieve

18. Heart sinks

Definition: To feel a sudden wave of extreme sadness that makes you want to cry.

Used in a Sentence: My heart sinks every time I think about losing my backpack. / Her heart sinks when she sees rainy weather on field trip day.

Similar Expressions: Feel crushed / Feel devastated

19. Break someone’s heart

Definition: To cause someone so much pain that they feel like crying.

Used in a Sentence: Leaving my puppy at home always tends to break my heart. / It will break my heart if our team loses the championship.

Similar Expressions: Crush spirit / Cause grief

20. Cut to the quick

Definition: To hurt someone’s feelings so deeply that it brings them to tears.

Used in a Sentence: The mean words cut him to the quick during recess. / Her harsh comment cut my feelings to the quick.

Similar Expressions: Hurt deeply / Sting badly

21. Cry over spilled milk

Definition: To cry or worry about something bad that already happened and cannot be fixed.

Used in a Sentence: There is no use in crying over spilled milk when the vase is broken. / Mom told me not to cry over spilled milk after I missed the bus.

Similar Expressions: Waste tears / Fuss over past

22. Grieve over

Definition: To feel intense sadness and shed tears for someone or something lost.

Used in a Sentence: It takes time to grieve over the loss of an old pet. / Do not rush your friend as they grieve over bad news.

Similar Expressions: Mourn / Lament

23. Cry out

Definition: To shout loudly in pain, surprise, or deep distress.

Used in a Sentence: The runner let out a cry out when she twisted her ankle. / He let a loud cry out when the cold water splashed him.

Similar Expressions: Scream / Yell out

24. Cry wolf

Definition: To call for help or attention when nothing is wrong, leading to ignored tears later.

Used in a Sentence: If you always cry wolf, nobody will believe when you actually need help. / He liked to cry wolf just to see how fast we would run.

Similar Expressions: Fake alarms / Lie for attention

25. Cry all the way to the bank

Definition: To make a lot of money despite criticism or skepticism, sometimes jokingly shedding happy tears.

Used in a Sentence: The business owner laughed and said he would cry all the way to the bank. / Even though people doubted his idea, he could cry all the way to the bank.

Similar Expressions: Profit greatly / Succeed despite doubt

26. Laugh until you cry

Definition: To laugh so hard that tears start streaming down your face.

Used in a Sentence: The funny comedy sketch made us laugh until we cried. / We shared silly jokes and managed to laugh until we cried.

Similar Expressions: Laugh tears / Giggle uncontrollably

27. Tears of joy

Definition: Happy tears that flow when something wonderful happens to you.

Used in a Sentence: She shed tears of joy when she won the art contest ribbon. / Winning the grand prize brought tears of joy to his eyes.

Similar Expressions: Happy weeping / Glad tears

28. Cry uncle

Definition: To give up and surrender during a playful match, sometimes with a tear of defeat.

Used in a Sentence: My brother wrestled me until I had to cry uncle. / Do not make me pin you down until you cry uncle.

Similar Expressions: Surrender / Yield

29. Whimper and whine

Definition: To make small crying sounds and complain endlessly.

Used in a Sentence: The tired toddler began to whimper and whine before nap time. / Stop trying to whimper and whine about doing chores.

Similar Expressions: Complain / Mope

30. Snivel

Definition: To cry quietly while sniffing through a runny nose.

Used in a Sentence: He sat in the corner and began to snivel over his cold. / Please do not snivel just because you have to eat vegetables.

Similar Expressions: Sniffle / Whimper

31. Sniffle

Definition: To breathe air up your nose repeatedly when you are about to cry or have a cold.

User in a Sentence: I heard a quiet sniffle coming from the back row of the classroom. / She tried to hide her sniffle while reading a sad book.

Similar Expressions: Snivel / Clear nose

32. Wail

Definition: To make a long, loud, and high-pitched cry of sorrow.

Used in a Sentence: The baby started to wail when the loud thunder shook the windows. / We heard someone wail in grief down the hallway.

Similar Expressions: Cry aloud / Scream sadly

33. Lament

Definition: To express sorrow and sadness through crying or complaining.

Used in a Sentence: He began to lament the fact that summer vacation was over. / Do not lament too long over losing one baseball game.

Similar Expressions: Mourn / Complain

34. Bawl

Definition: To shout or cry in a loud, open, and noisy way.

Used in a Sentence: The toddler started to bawl when his favorite balloon floated away. / I did not expect to bawl so much during the drama play.

Similar Expressions: Sob loudly / Howl

35. Blubber

Definition: To cry noisily and weakly like a child making silly sounds.

Used in a Sentence: He started to blubber when he scraped his elbow on the playground. / Stop trying to blubber and tell us what actually happened.

Similar Expressions: Cry weakly / Whimper

36. Sob

Definition: To cry while taking quick, deep breaths in and out.

Used in a Sentence: She began to sob softly when she lost her spelling notebook. / I could hear someone sob quietly behind the closed door.

Similar Expressions: Weep / Cry

37. Moan and groan

Definition: To make low sounds of unhappiness that can lead to tears.

Used in a Sentence: The students love to moan and groan about math homework. / He began to moan and groan when told to clean his room.

Similar Expressions: Complain / Grumble

38. Bleed heart

Definition: To feel excessive sympathy that might make you cry for someone else’s trouble.

Used in a Sentence: She has a bleeding heart for stray cats found outside. / Do not let your bleeding heart make you cry over every bug.

Similar Expressions: Overly sympathetic / Deeply caring

39. Sink into despair

Definition: To feel completely hopeless and sad enough to shed tears.

Used in a Sentence: He started to sink into despair after losing his science project. / Do not let one bad grade make you sink into despair.

Similar Expressions: Lose hope / Feel hopeless

40. Heavy heart

Definition: A feeling of deep sadness and sorrow that feels like crying inside.

Used in a Sentence: I walked home with a heavy heart after saying goodbye to my friend. / She carried a heavy heart all day due to bad news.

Similar Expressions: Sad spirit / Sorrowful mood

41. Break down in tears

Definition: To lose control of your emotions and start crying heavily.

Used in a Sentence: She did break down in tears when she found her lost puppy. / He tried to stay calm but finally broke down in tears.

Similar Expressions: Sob / Weep

42. Melt into tears

Definition: To become very emotional and start crying softly.

Used in a Sentence: The sweet birthday video made grandma melt into tears. / I always melt into tears when hearing nice compliments.

Similar Expressions: Turn watery / Soften up

43. Cry a flood

Definition: To shed an enormous amount of tears over something sad.

Used in a Sentence: She felt like she could cry a flood after losing her art project. / Do not cry a flood because we can bake another cake.

Similar Expressions: Sob buckets / Weep oceans

44. Weep bitterly

Definition: To cry with great pain and deep sorrow.

Used in a Sentence: The knight began to weep bitterly when his horse ran away. / She sat on the porch and began to weep bitterly.

Similar Expressions: Cry hard / Sob deeply

45. Shed a tear

Definition: To let just one single tear fall from your eye.

Used in a Sentence: Dad managed to shed a tear while watching me graduate. / I did shed a tear when my favorite book series ended.

Similar Expressions: Tear up / Get misty

46. Let the tears flow

Definition: To stop holding back your sadness and allow yourself to cry.

Used in a Sentence: Sometimes it is healthy to let the tears flow instead of hiding them. / She let the tears flow freely during the sad song.

Similar Expressions: Cry openly / Release emotions

47. Cry on someone’s shoulder

Definition: To lean on a trusted friend and cry while they comfort you.

Used in a Sentence: It feels good to cry on someone’s shoulder when life is tough. / She needed a friend to cry on after failing the test.

Similar Expressions: Seek comfort / Share sorrow

48. Pour out grief

Definition: To express all your hidden sadness and tears to someone.

Used in a Sentence: He took time to pour out his grief to his wise teacher. / Do not be afraid to pour out your grief when you are sad.

Similar Expressions: Share pain / Vent sorrow

49. Wear your heart on your sleeve

Definition: To show your emotions openly so everyone can see when you might cry.

Used in a Sentence: She wears her heart on her sleeve and cries at happy commercials. / It is easy to tell he is upset because he wears his heart on his sleeve.

Similar Expressions: Show feelings / Be open

50. Sob your guts out

Definition: To cry with maximum effort and intense emotional release.

Used in a Sentence: He went to his bedroom to sob his guts out in private. / Do not feel embarrassed if you need to sob your guts out sometimes.

Similar Expressions: Cry hard / Sob uncontrollably

Exercise to Practice

1. She started to shed tears when her favorite pet finally came home safe.
2. Stop trying to nitpick my spelling on a casual text message.
3. My brother told me not to throw stones since my room was just as messy.
4. The little boy did burst into tears when he dropped his ice cream cone.
5. Grandma gave the rude cashier a piece of her mind about the broken eggs.
6. When my brother complained about chores, I told him to cry a river.
7. The stormy weather decided to rain on your parade today.
8. My heart sinks every time I think about losing my backpack.
9. Dad tried to throw cold water on my idea of building a treehouse.
10. The smart student was able to shoot holes in the textbook theory.
11. The sun loved to rain on your parade during summer vacation.
12. Dad will always tear up at weddings and birthday parties.
13. Expect an earful if you forget to take out the trash.
14. She sat on her bed and chose to sob her heart out in private.
15. My brother wrestled me until I had to cry uncle.

Answer Key

1. True
2. False
3. False
4. True
5. False
6. True
7. False
8. True
9. False
10. False
11. False
12. True
13. False
14. True
15. True

Conclusion

Learning idioms for cry helps you understand everyday conversations and express your feelings more clearly. When you know these phrases, you can talk about emotions and sadness with confidence.

Try using a few of these fun expressions the next time you talk with your friends or family. You will sound like a true English pro in no time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some common idioms for cry?

Some common idioms include shed tears, burst into tears, and cry one’s eyes out. These colorful expressions help describe when someone is feeling sad or shedding tears.

Why do we use idioms in English?

Idioms make our speech much more colorful, interesting, and descriptive than using plain words. They add personality to writing and help us share complex ideas easily.

How can I practice learning new idioms?

You can practice by using them in everyday sentences, playing matching games, or writing short stories. Reading books and articles also helps you spot idioms in action.

Are idioms difficult to learn?

Idioms can seem tricky at first because their meanings are hidden behind fun word pictures. Once you practice them with examples, they become very easy to remember.

Can I use these idioms in school assignments?

Yes, using idioms correctly can make your writing and speaking assignments much more engaging. Just make sure you understand the meaning before using them in formal essays.