Sometimes, our feelings are hard to explain with just plain words. That’s why people use special phrases called idioms. Idioms are fun ways to say how we feel or what we think. They don’t mean exactly what the words say, but they help us understand feelings better. When someone is really happy or very sad, they might cry. People cry when they feel strong emotions. That’s when idioms about tears can help us share how we feel.
This article will teach you some idioms that talk about tears and crying. You will learn what these idioms mean and how people use them. These phrases can help you talk about feelings in a simple and interesting way. They are often used when someone is sad, surprised, or even laughing too much. Let’s learn some of these idioms and see how we can use them in everyday life.
Idioms for Tears
1. Cry your eyes out
Meaning: To cry a lot
Example: She cried her eyes out after her dog ran away. / He cried his eyes out when he lost his toy.
Put Differently: She cried for a long time. / He couldn’t stop crying.
2. Burst into tears
Meaning: Start crying suddenly
Example: She burst into tears after hearing the sad news. / He burst into tears when his team lost.
Put Differently: She started crying right away. / He began to cry suddenly.
3. Cry like a baby
Meaning: Cry very loudly or emotionally
Example: He cried like a baby at the end of the movie. / She cried like a baby when she got hurt.
Put Differently: He cried very hard. / She was crying loudly.
4. In tears
Meaning: Crying
Example: She was in tears after the show. / He ran home in tears.
Put Differently: She was crying. / He was crying while going home.
5. Moved to tears
Meaning: Cried because something touched your heart
Example: The story moved her to tears. / He was moved to tears by the kind words.
Put Differently: She cried because it was touching. / His eyes filled with tears from the sweet message.
6. Tear up
Meaning: Start to get tears in your eyes
Example: I teared up during the speech. / He teared up when his friend hugged him.
Put Differently: I almost cried. / He was about to cry.
7. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: Cry about something that already happened and can’t be changed
Example: Don’t cry over spilled milk it was just a small mistake. / She cried over spilled milk after losing her pencil.
Put Differently: Don’t be upset about something small. / It’s too late to be sad about it.
8. Break down in tears
Meaning: Suddenly start crying
Example: He broke down in tears after hearing the news. / She broke down in tears in class.
Put Differently: He couldn’t hold back the tears. / She started crying hard.
9. Choked up
Meaning: Feeling like you might cry
Example: I was choked up during the goodbye. / He got choked up talking about his pet.
Put Differently: I felt like crying. / He couldn’t talk clearly because he was sad.
10. Cry me a river
Meaning: Cry a lot (used to show someone is being too dramatic)
Example: Oh, cry me a river it’s not that bad. / She said, “Cry me a river,” when he kept whining.
Put Differently: Stop crying too much. / You’re overreacting.
11. Eyes filled with tears
Meaning: About to cry or already crying
Example: Her eyes filled with tears when she saw the puppy. / His eyes filled with tears during the song.
Put Differently: She was about to cry. / He started crying softly.
12. Cry tears of joy
Meaning: Cry because you’re really happy
Example: She cried tears of joy when her brother came home. / He cried tears of joy after winning.
Put Differently: She was so happy she cried. / His tears were from happiness.
13. Cry yourself to sleep
Meaning: Cry until you fall asleep
Example: She cried herself to sleep after the bad day. / He cried himself to sleep missing his parents.
Put Differently: She cried so much she fell asleep. / He cried until he slept.
14. Tears streaming down
Meaning: Tears running down your face
Example: Tears streamed down her face as she watched the movie. / He had tears streaming down when he said goodbye.
Put Differently: She cried with tears on her cheeks. / His face was wet from crying.
15. Shed tears
Meaning: To cry
Example: He shed tears at the end of the play. / She shed tears after hearing the news.
Put Differently: He cried. / She couldn’t hold back her tears.
16. All cried out
Meaning: No more tears left to cry
Example: I’m all cried out after today. / She was all cried out by bedtime.
Put Differently: I cried so much I can’t cry anymore. / She was too tired to cry again.
17. Tears welled up
Meaning: Eyes started filling with tears
Example: Tears welled up in her eyes when she saw the gift. / His eyes welled up during the movie.
Put Differently: Her eyes filled with tears. / He looked like he would cry.
18. Fight back tears
Meaning: Try not to cry
Example: She fought back tears during the speech. / He fought back tears when he saw the letter.
Put Differently: She tried not to cry. / He held in his tears.
19. On the verge of tears
Meaning: Very close to crying
Example: I was on the verge of tears during the goodbye. / She was on the verge of tears at the meeting.
Put Differently: I almost cried. / She was about to cry.
20. A tear rolled down
Meaning: One tear moved down your face
Example: A tear rolled down her cheek as she smiled. / He had a tear roll down while watching the video.
Put Differently: She had one tear on her face. / One tear slid down.
21. Tears in your eyes
Meaning: About to cry or already crying
Example: He had tears in his eyes when he saw the puppy. / She got tears in her eyes hearing the song.
Put Differently: He was very close to crying. / She almost cried.
22. Wipe away tears
Meaning: Stop crying by wiping your face
Example: She wiped away tears after the goodbye. / He wiped away tears with his sleeve.
Put Differently: She cleaned her face after crying. / He brushed off the tears.
23. Tears rolled down
Meaning: Tears moved down your face
Example: Tears rolled down her cheeks during the speech. / He watched in silence as tears rolled down.
Put Differently: She cried softly. / His tears moved slowly down.
24. Drown in tears
Meaning: Cry a lot
Example: She felt like she was drowning in tears. / He was drowning in tears after losing.
Put Differently: She cried more than ever. / He cried very hard.
25. Cry a river
Meaning: Cry a huge amount
Example: You’ll cry a river if you keep this up. / She cried a river after the game.
Put Differently: You cried too much. / You were really sad.
26. Tearing up
Meaning: Start to cry a little
Example: She started tearing up during the movie. / I was tearing up at the sweet part.
Put Differently: She began to cry a bit. / I almost cried.
27. Tears of laughter
Meaning: Crying because something is so funny
Example: He had tears of laughter from the joke. / We were in tears of laughter all day.
Put Differently: We laughed so hard we cried. / It was so funny, we cried.
28. Choked with emotion
Meaning: So emotional you almost cry
Example: He was choked with emotion during his speech. / She got choked with emotion reading the letter.
Put Differently: He couldn’t talk from strong feelings. / She was full of emotion.
29. Crying fit
Meaning: A short time of crying a lot
Example: She had a crying fit after the fall. / He had a crying fit when he lost.
Put Differently: She cried really hard for a short time. / He couldn’t stop crying for a bit.
30. Cry buckets
Meaning: Cry a lot
Example: I cried buckets watching that movie. / She cried buckets when her fish died.
Put Differently: I cried more than usual. / She was very sad.
31. Cry on someone’s shoulder
Meaning: Cry with someone to feel better
Example: She cried on her mom’s shoulder. / He needed someone to cry on.
Put Differently: She wanted comfort. / He needed someone to talk to.
32. Bittersweet tears
Meaning: Tears from happy and sad feelings mixed
Example: She had bittersweet tears at graduation. / He cried bittersweet tears at the goodbye.
Put Differently: She was happy and sad at the same time. / He felt two feelings at once.
33. Eyes brimming with tears
Meaning: Eyes full of tears
Example: Her eyes were brimming with tears. / He looked at me with eyes full of tears.
Put Differently: She was about to cry. / His tears were ready to fall.
34. Sob your heart out
Meaning: Cry very deeply
Example: She sobbed her heart out after the show. / He sobbed his heart out that night.
Put Differently: She cried with all her feelings. / He cried loudly and a lot.
35. Welling up
Meaning: Start to get tears
Example: I’m welling up just thinking about it. / She was welling up during the goodbye.
Put Differently: I’m about to cry. / She is close to tears.
36. Cry your heart out
Meaning: Cry very sadly
Example: He cried his heart out after losing the game. / She cried her heart out when her cat ran away.
Put Differently: He cried with deep sadness. / She was very upset.
37. Cry for joy
Meaning: Cry from happiness
Example: She cried for joy when she got the puppy. / He cried for joy after hearing the news.
Put Differently: She cried because she was so happy. / He was overjoyed.
38. Tears ran down
Meaning: Tears moved on your cheeks
Example: Tears ran down his cheeks as he smiled. / Her face was wet as tears ran down.
Put Differently: He was crying while smiling. / She cried with tears on her face.
39. Eyes watered
Meaning: Eyes started to tear up
Example: My eyes watered from the story. / Her eyes watered when she saw the gift.
Put Differently: I was about to cry. / She almost cried.
40. Cry silently
Meaning: Cry without making noise
Example: She cried silently in the corner. / He cried silently during the show.
Put Differently: She was crying quietly. / He didn’t make a sound while crying.
“Rewrite the Sentence” Activity: Idioms for Tears
Rewrite each sentence using one of the idioms above.
Sentences to Rewrite
- Jacob couldn’t stop crying after he lost his favorite toy.
- Ava was almost crying when her friend moved away.
- Ethan wiped his face after crying during the movie.
- Lily started crying as soon as she heard the bad news.
- Ben was trying very hard not to cry during the speech.
- Mia was crying quietly at her desk.
- Emma was very happy and started crying when she saw her birthday gift.
- Noah cried a little when he heard the sweet song.
- Olivia felt like crying but didn’t want to show it.
- Liam cried because he was both happy and sad at the same time.
Answer Key
- Jacob cried his eyes out after he lost his favorite toy.
- Ava was on the verge of tears when her friend moved away.
- Ethan wiped away his tears after crying during the movie.
- Lily burst into tears as soon as she heard the bad news.
- Ben fought back tears during the speech.
- Mia cried silently at her desk.
- Emma cried tears of joy when she saw her birthday gift.
- Noah teared up when he heard the sweet song.
- Olivia was choked up but didn’t want to show it.
- Liam shed bittersweet tears because he was happy and sad.
Conclusion
Idioms about tears help us show how we feel in a clear and colorful way. They are used when someone is happy, sad, or surprised. By learning these phrases, you can talk about emotions in a simple but strong way.
Keep practicing these idioms. They will make your writing and speaking more interesting and easier to understand.
