50 Idioms For Crying That Hit Different

Idioms for crying are some of the most colorful and expressive phrases in the English language. Whether you’re describing someone who’s sobbing uncontrollably or just getting a bit teary-eyed, these expressions help us paint vivid pictures of human emotion. From gentle weeping to full-blown meltdowns, crying idioms capture every shade of tears we shed.

The Science Behind Crying Expressions

Research shows that idiomatic expressions actually trigger stronger emotional responses in our brains than literal language2. When we hear phrases like “cry your heart out,” our brains light up in areas associated with both language processing and emotional engagement2. This means crying idioms don’t just describe emotions—they make us feel them more intensely.

Studies on human crying behavior reveal fascinating patterns about when and why we cry1. According to research published in scientific journals, crying serves multiple functions: it releases emotional tension, communicates distress to others, and even helps us bond socially1. The table below shows common triggers for crying across different age groups:

Age Group	Primary Crying Triggers	Social Response
Children	Physical pain, frustration, fear	Immediate comfort seeking
Teenagers	Social rejection, overwhelming emotions	Mixed reactions, some avoidance
Adults	Loss, grief, overwhelming joy	More accepting, offer support

Pro Tip: Understanding these crying idioms can help you express emotions more precisely and connect better with others who are experiencing strong feelings.

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1. Cry Your Eyes Out

This classic idiom means to cry very hard for a long time. When someone cries their eyes out, they’re not just shedding a few tears—they’re having a proper sob session34.

“After her dog died, Sarah cried her eyes out for hours.”

The phrase suggests crying so intensely that you might actually lose your eyes from all the tears. Of course, that’s impossible, but it shows just how powerful this expression is. You’ll hear this one a lot in everyday conversation, especially when someone’s dealing with heartbreak or loss.

2. Burst Into Tears

When emotions hit suddenly and hard, we burst into tears5. This idiom captures that moment when someone goes from totally fine to crying in seconds flat.

“The moment she saw the surprise party, she burst into tears of joy.”

Think of it like a water balloon popping—one second everything’s contained, the next second tears are everywhere. It’s perfect for describing unexpected emotional reactions, whether they’re happy or sad tears.

3. Break Down In Tears

Breaking down in tears is more intense than just crying5. It suggests a complete emotional collapse where someone loses control of their feelings.

“The stress of finals week made him break down in tears in the library.”

This idiom paints a picture of someone’s emotional defenses crumbling. It’s often used when describing overwhelming situations where a person just can’t hold it together anymore.

4. Sob Your Heart Out

Similar to crying your eyes out, sobbing your heart out means crying with deep, intense emotion34. The difference is that sobbing involves those shaky, hiccupping sounds that come with really hard crying.

“She sobbed her heart out at her grandmother’s funeral.”

This phrase suggests crying so hard that your heart itself is involved in the process. It’s reserved for those moments of profound sadness or grief.

5. Bawl Your Eyes Out

Bawling means crying loudly and without restraint34. When someone bawls their eyes out, everyone within earshot knows they’re upset.

“The toddler bawled his eyes out when his ice cream fell on the ground.”

This idiom is perfect for describing the kind of crying that’s impossible to ignore. It’s dramatic, loud, and usually involves a lot of noise along with the tears.

6. Shed Tears

This is one of the gentler crying idioms. Shedding tears suggests quiet, perhaps more dignified crying46.

“Even the tough guys in the audience shed tears during that emotional movie scene.”

Unlike some of the more dramatic crying expressions, shedding tears can happen without anyone noticing. It’s the kind of crying you might do while reading a sad book or watching a touching commercial.

7. Weep Buckets

Weeping buckets means crying an enormous amount—as if you could fill actual buckets with your tears4.

“She wept buckets when her favorite character died in the TV show.”

This idiom emphasizes the sheer volume of tears rather than the emotional intensity. it’s often used with a touch of humor to describe someone who cries a lot over something others might see as minor.

8. In Floods Of Tears

Being in floods of tears means crying uncontrollably, as if your tears are literally flooding5.

“After the breakup, she was in floods of tears for days.”

This phrase creates a vivid image of tears flowing like flood water. It suggests crying that’s overwhelming and hard to stop, like a natural disaster of emotions.

9. Crocodile Tears

Crocodile tears are fake tears—crying that’s put on for show rather than from real emotion45.

“Don’t believe his crocodile tears; he’s just trying to get out of trouble.”

This idiom comes from the old belief that crocodiles cry while eating their prey. It’s perfect for describing manipulative behavior where someone pretends to be sad to gain sympathy.

10. Hold Back The Tears

Holding back tears means trying not to cry, fighting against the urge to let emotions show45.

“She held back the tears during the entire meeting, but cried as soon as she got to her car.”

This expression captures that struggle we all know—when you feel tears coming but you’re trying to keep it together in public. It’s about emotional control and sometimes social expectations.

11. Close To Tears

Being close to tears means you’re on the verge of crying but haven’t started yet5.

“The touching speech left everyone close to tears.”

This idiom describes that emotional tipping point where you can feel the tears building up but they haven’t started flowing. It’s like being at the edge of an emotional cliff.

12. Eyes Well Up

When your eyes well up, tears are forming but haven’t fallen yet46.

“His eyes welled up with pride as he watched his daughter graduate.”

This phrase captures that moment right before crying begins. You can see the tears gathering, making someone’s eyes look glassy or shiny, but they’re still contained.

13. Tear Up

Tearing up is similar to having your eyes well up—it’s the beginning stage of crying5.

“I always tear up during wedding ceremonies, even if I don’t know the couple.”

This is probably the mildest form of crying. Someone who tears up might not even have tears fall down their cheeks, but their eyes definitely get misty.

14. Choke Up

Choking up means getting so emotional that it’s hard to speak46.

“He choked up when trying to give his retirement speech.”

This idiom describes when emotions literally affect your ability to talk. Your throat feels tight, your voice might crack, and words become difficult to get out.

15. Lump In Your Throat

Having a lump in your throat is that tight feeling you get when you’re trying not to cry4.

“Every time I hear that song, I get a lump in my throat thinking about my dad.”

This physical sensation often comes before crying. It’s your body’s way of preparing for tears, even if you’re fighting against them.

16. Turn On The Waterworks

Turning on the waterworks means starting to cry, often suddenly or dramatically6.

“Whenever she doesn’t get her way, she turns on the waterworks.”

This phrase can suggest fake or manipulative crying, but it can also just describe someone who cries easily. It compares tears to water coming out of plumbing.

17. Cry Like A Baby

Crying like a baby means crying loudly and without any attempt to control yourself36.

“I cry like a baby every time I watch that movie about the dog.”

This comparison to infant crying suggests complete abandonment of adult emotional control. It’s not necessarily negative—sometimes we all need to cry like babies.

18. Cry On Someone’s Shoulder

Crying on someone’s shoulder means seeking emotional support and comfort from another person36.

“After her divorce, she needed a friend to cry on her shoulder.”

This idiom emphasizes the social aspect of crying. It’s about finding someone who will listen and provide comfort during difficult times.

19. Bawl Like A Baby

Bawling like a baby combines the loud crying of bawling with the uncontrolled nature of infant crying5.

“He bawled like a baby when his team lost the championship.”

This expression suggests crying that’s both loud and completely uninhibited. It’s the kind of crying where dignity goes out the window.

20. Cry A River

Crying a river means crying excessively, producing a huge amount of tears5.

“She cried a river over that romantic comedy.”

This hyperbolic expression suggests tears flowing like an actual river. It can be used seriously or with gentle teasing about someone who cries a lot.

21. Wail

Wailing is loud, mournful crying that often sounds almost musical in its rhythm6.

“The baby wailed all night, keeping the whole family awake.”

Wailing suggests crying that’s not just loud but has a particular quality to it—like the sound carries grief or despair. It’s often associated with mourning.

22. Blubber

Blubbering means crying while making incoherent sounds, often with a runny nose3.

“Stop blubbering and tell me what happened!”

This word suggests messy, unattractive crying where the person might be trying to talk but can’t form clear words. It’s not the most flattering way to describe someone’s tears.

23. Snivel

Sniveling is weak, whiny crying, often accompanied by sniffling6.

“He sniveled about losing the game instead of congratulating the winner.”

This idiom has negative connotations—it suggests crying that’s more annoying than sympathetic. Sniveling often implies complaining along with the tears.

24. Eyes Swimming With Tears

Having eyes swimming with tears means your eyes are completely filled with tears6.

“After reading the letter from her son, her eyes were swimming with tears.”

This poetic expression creates an image of tears completely filling someone’s eyes like water in a pool. It suggests being overwhelmed with emotion.

25. Cry Into Your Beer

Crying into your beer means feeling sorry for yourself, usually while drinking7.

“Instead of crying into his beer about the job loss, he decided to start looking for new opportunities.”

This idiom combines crying with drinking alcohol, suggesting self-pity and wallowing in problems rather than taking action.

26. Ugly Cry

Ugly crying is modern slang for crying in a very physical, unflattering way3.

“I was ugly crying by the end of that movie—red face, snot, the whole deal.”

This relatively new expression acknowledges that real, intense crying isn’t pretty. It includes all the physical effects: red face, puffy eyes, running nose.

27. Let The Tears Flow

Letting the tears flow means allowing yourself to cry without holding back5.

“Sometimes you just need to let the tears flow and get it all out.”

This phrase suggests a conscious decision to stop fighting against crying. It’s about giving yourself permission to express emotions fully.

28. Weep Without Restraint

Weeping without restraint means crying without trying to control or limit yourself3.

“At the memorial service, many people wept without restraint.”

This formal-sounding expression emphasizes the lack of emotional control. It suggests crying that’s natural and unfiltered by social expectations.

29. Sob Uncontrollably

Sobbing uncontrollably means crying with those characteristic gasping sounds and being unable to stop4.

“The news was so shocking that she sobbed uncontrollably for an hour.”

This phrase emphasizes both the physical nature of sobbing and the person’s inability to regain emotional control. It’s intense, overwhelming crying.

30. Cry Your Heart Out

Crying your heart out means expressing deep emotional pain through tears34.

“After the funeral, he went home and cried his heart out.”

This idiom suggests that crying comes from the very center of your being. It’s reserved for the most profound emotional experiences.

31. Break Down And Cry

Breaking down and crying describes a moment when emotional control completely fails8.

“The pressure finally got to him, and he broke down and cried right there in the office.”

This phrase captures that moment when someone’s ability to hold it together just collapses. It often happens after prolonged stress or emotional strain.

32. Cry Oneself To Sleep

Crying oneself to sleep means continuing to cry until exhaustion takes over8.

“She cried herself to sleep every night for a week after the breakup.”

This sad expression describes crying as the last thing someone does before falling asleep, usually from emotional exhaustion.

33. Cry Bloody Murder

Crying bloody murder means screaming or crying very loudly, as if something terrible has happened8.

“The kid cried bloody murder when his mom turned off the video game.”

This dramatic expression is often used when someone’s reaction seems way out of proportion to what actually happened. It suggests extremely loud, dramatic crying.

34. For Crying Out Loud

For crying out loud is an exclamation of frustration or exasperation8.

“For crying out loud, can you please just listen to what I’m saying?”

Interestingly, this phrase uses “crying” but isn’t really about tears at all. It’s a mild way of expressing annoyance without using stronger language.

35. A Crying Shame

A crying shame means something that’s really unfortunate or disappointing8.

“It’s a crying shame that such a talented musician never got the recognition she deserved.”

Again, this idiom uses “crying” metaphorically rather than literally. It suggests something is so bad it could make you cry.

36. Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk

Don’t cry over spilled milk means don’t waste time being upset about things that have already happened and can’t be changed4.

“I know you’re disappointed about missing the concert, but don’t cry over spilled milk—there will be other shows.”

This practical advice idiom uses crying to represent dwelling on past mistakes or misfortunes. It encourages moving forward instead of getting stuck in regret.

37. Cry With Relief

Crying with relief means tears that come from overwhelming gratitude or the release of worry8.

“When the doctor said the test results were negative, she cried with relief.”

These are happy tears that come when a huge weight is lifted off someone’s shoulders. Relief crying often surprises people with its intensity.

38. Bore Someone To Tears

Boring someone to tears means making them extremely bored8.

“The professor’s lecture was so dry it bored the entire class to tears.”

This humorous expression suggests something is so boring it could literally make you cry from the tedium. It’s obviously exaggerated for effect.

39. Cry All The Way To The Bank

Crying all the way to the bank means pretending to be upset about something that’s actually making you money8.

“The artist complained about selling out, but he was crying all the way to the bank.”

This ironic expression suggests fake sadness about financial success. The “crying” is just for show while the person is actually happy about their profits.

40. Cry Like A Banshee

Crying like a banshee means wailing loudly and eerily6.

“When she stubbed her toe, she cried like a banshee and woke up the whole house.”

A banshee is a mythical creature known for its piercing wail. This comparison suggests crying that’s not just loud but almost supernatural in its intensity.

41. Have A Meltdown

Having a meltdown means completely losing emotional control, often with crying involved5.

“The stress of wedding planning finally caused her to have a complete meltdown.”

This modern expression compares emotional breakdown to something physically melting. It suggests a total collapse of normal functioning.

42. Drown In Tears

Drowning in tears means being overwhelmed by sadness and crying5.

“After losing her job and her relationship in the same week, she felt like she was drowning in tears.”

This dramatic metaphor suggests being completely submerged in grief. It’s about feeling like sadness is literally suffocating you.

43. Cry Into Your Pillow

Crying into your pillow means private, often nighttime crying5.

“She didn’t want her roommate to hear, so she cried into her pillow.”

This phrase captures those moments of private grief when someone tries to muffle their sobs. It’s about crying that’s meant to be hidden from others.

44. Eyes Brimming With Tears

Having eyes brimming with tears means tears are ready to overflow but haven’t started falling yet9.

“As she listened to her daughter’s wedding vows, her eyes were brimming with tears of joy.”

This poetic expression suggests tears right at the edge, like a cup filled to the very top. It’s that moment right before crying begins.

45. Cry Until The Cows Come Home

Crying until the cows come home means crying for a very long time3.

“You can cry until the cows come home, but I’m not changing my mind about bedtime.”

This rural expression uses the image of cows returning from pasture (which could be a long time) to suggest endless duration. It often implies that the crying is pointless.

46. Cry Like A Little Girl

Crying like a little girl suggests crying that seems immature or weak (though this is often considered an unfair stereotype)7.

“The tough guy cried like a little girl when he saw the spider.”

Note: This expression relies on outdated gender stereotypes and is becoming less acceptable in modern usage.

47. Weep Copiously

Weeping copiously means crying abundantly, producing lots of tears5.

“The movie was so moving that half the audience wept copiously.”

“Copiously” means in large amounts, so this formal expression emphasizes the volume of tears being shed.

48. Cry Your Guts Out

Crying your guts out means crying with complete emotional intensity5.

“After holding it in all day, he finally went home and cried his guts out.”

This crude but expressive idiom suggests crying that comes from deep inside—not just emotional tears but crying that involves your whole body.

49. Shed A Tear

Shedding a tear means crying just a little bit, often quietly5.

“Even the stoic grandfather shed a tear at his granddaughter’s graduation.”

This gentle expression suggests minimal crying—perhaps just one or two tears rather than full sobbing. It’s often used when someone who rarely cries shows emotion.

50. Cry Like A Faucet

Crying like a faucet means tears flowing steadily and continuously6.

“Once she started talking about her late husband, she cried like a faucet.”

This mechanical comparison suggests tears that flow at a steady rate, like water from a tap. It emphasizes the constant nature of the crying rather than intensity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What’s the difference between “cry your eyes out” and “cry your heart out”?
A: Both mean intense crying, but “cry your eyes out” focuses on the physical act of producing lots of tears, while “cry your heart out” emphasizes the deep emotional pain behind the crying34.

Q: Are crying idioms the same in other languages?
A: No, different cultures have unique expressions for crying. For example, some languages might compare tears to rain or rivers, while others use completely different metaphors that don’t translate directly.

Q: Is it okay to use “cry like a baby” about adults?
A: Yes, this idiom is commonly used and generally accepted. It simply means crying without trying to control yourself, like infants do naturally36.

Q: What does “crocodile tears” really mean?
A: Crocodile tears are fake tears—crying that’s put on for show to manipulate others rather than from genuine emotion. It comes from the myth that crocodiles cry while eating their prey45.

Q: Can crying idioms be used positively?
A: Absolutely! Many crying idioms can describe happy tears, like “eyes welling up with pride” or “crying with relief.” Crying isn’t always about sadness48.

Conclusion

Crying idioms show us just how rich and varied human emotional expression can be. From gentle “shedding tears” to dramatic “crying bloody murder,” these phrases help us communicate the full spectrum of human feelings with color and precision.

Here’s something fascinating most people don’t realize: using these idioms actually helps us process emotions better. When we put our feelings into vivid, metaphorical language, our brains engage more fully with the emotional experience. It’s like giving our feelings a voice that’s bigger than simple words like “sad” or “upset.”

So next time you’re describing someone’s emotional moment—or your own—remember that you have this whole toolkit of expressions to choose from. Whether someone is “choking up” during a speech or “bawling their eyes out” at a movie, these idioms help us connect with the universal human experience of tears. After all, crying is one of the most fundamentally human things we do, and our language reflects just how important these moments really are.