Crying is a deeply human expression of emotion, ranging from sadness to joy. These idioms capture different shades of tears, from quiet sobs to dramatic outbursts.

1. Cry One’s Eyes Out

Meaning: To cry intensely.
Example: “She cried her eyes out after hearing the bad news.”
Tone: Emotional, dramatic.
Other ways to say it: Weep bitterly, sob uncontrollably.

2. Cry Over Spilled Milk

Meaning: To be upset over something that cannot be changed.
Example: “I know you lost the game, but don’t cry over spilled milk.”
Tone: Practical, encouraging.
Other ways to say it: Move on, let it go.

3. Burst Into Tears

Meaning: To start crying suddenly.
Example: “She burst into tears when she saw the surprise party.”
Tone: Emotional, spontaneous.
Other ways to say it: Break down, start sobbing.

4. Tears of Joy

Meaning: Happy crying.
Example: “When he proposed, she had tears of joy.”
Tone: Emotional, touching.
Other ways to say it: Happy tears, overwhelmed with happiness.

5. Cry a River

Meaning: To cry excessively.
Example: “You don’t have to cry a river over a small mistake.”
Tone: Exaggerated, playful.
Other ways to say it: Weep endlessly, flood of tears.

6. Have a Good Cry

Meaning: To allow oneself to cry and feel better afterward.
Example: “Sometimes, you just need to have a good cry.”
Tone: Comforting, therapeutic.
Other ways to say it: Let it out, emotional release.

7. Blubber Like a Baby

Meaning: To cry loudly and uncontrollably.
Example: “He blubbered like a baby when he lost his pet.”
Tone: Intense, childlike.
Other ways to say it: Sob loudly, wail.

8. A Tearjerker

Meaning: Something that makes people cry.
Example: “That movie was a real tearjerker.”
Tone: Emotional, sentimental.
Other ways to say it: Heart-wrenching, deeply moving.

9. Shed a Tear

Meaning: To cry, often slightly.
Example: “He shed a tear during the farewell speech.”
Tone: Subtle, emotional.
Other ways to say it: Tear up, get misty-eyed.

10. Waterworks

Meaning: A flood of tears.
Example: “Her speech turned on the waterworks for everyone.”
Tone: Dramatic, exaggerated.
Other ways to say it: Overflow of emotions, crying fit.

11. Wipe Away Tears

Meaning: To stop crying and regain composure.
Example: “She wiped away her tears and smiled.”
Tone: Comforting, resilient.
Other ways to say it: Dry your eyes, pull yourself together.

12. Weep Like a Willow

Meaning: Crying gracefully or continuously.
Example: “She wept like a willow at the wedding.”
Tone: Poetic, soft.
Other ways to say it: Flowing tears, endless crying.

13. Bring Tears to One’s Eyes

Meaning: Something that causes emotion.
Example: “His kind words brought tears to my eyes.”
Tone: Sentimental, touching.
Other ways to say it: Tear up, get emotional.

14. Cry Wolf

Meaning: To fake distress or exaggerate emotions.
Example: “If you cry wolf too often, people won’t believe you.”
Tone: Cautionary, skeptical.
Other ways to say it: False alarm, exaggerate emotions.

15. A Crying Shame

Meaning: Something truly unfortunate.
Example: “It’s a crying shame that they closed the park.”
Tone: Regretful, disappointing.
Other ways to say it: Unfortunate event, great loss.

16. Break Down in Tears

Meaning: To suddenly start crying.
Example: “She broke down in tears after the emotional speech.”
Tone: Intense, heartfelt.
Other ways to say it: Collapse in tears, overwhelmed by emotion.

17. Silent Tears

Meaning: Crying without making noise.
Example: “She sat there, shedding silent tears.”
Tone: Subdued, private.
Other ways to say it: Cry softly, quiet sorrow.

18. Crying a Blue Streak

Meaning: Crying nonstop and dramatically.
Example: “After the breakup, she was crying a blue streak.”
Tone: Intense, exaggerated.
Other ways to say it: Nonstop tears, endless crying.

19. Tears Rolling Down One’s Cheeks

Meaning: Crying visibly.
Example: “Tears rolled down his cheeks during the speech.”
Tone: Emotional, vivid.
Other ways to say it: Cry openly, tearful.

20. Choked Up

Meaning: Being overwhelmed with emotion to the point of crying.
Example: “He got choked up while thanking his parents.”
Tone: Sentimental, touching.
Other ways to say it: Too emotional to speak, tearful pause.

21. Crying Inside

Meaning: Feeling deep sadness but not showing it.
Example: “She was crying inside but kept a brave face.”
Tone: Suppressed, hidden.
Other ways to say it: Silent suffering, internal sorrow.

22. Moved to Tears

Meaning: Overcome with emotion to the point of crying.
Example: “His speech moved me to tears.”
Tone: Deeply emotional, heartfelt.
Other ways to say it: Emotionally overwhelmed, deeply touched.

23. Crying the Blues

Meaning: Complaining or being upset for a long time.
Example: “He’s been crying the blues since his team lost.”
Tone: Melancholic, exaggerated.
Other ways to say it: Lamenting, feeling sorry for oneself.

24. Tearing Up

Meaning: Getting emotional but not fully crying.
Example: “She started tearing up during the wedding vows.”
Tone: Subtle, emotional.
Other ways to say it: Getting misty-eyed, welling up.

25. Crying Out Loud

Meaning: Expressing frustration loudly.
Example: “For crying out loud, just tell me the truth!”
Tone: Annoyed, exasperated.
Other ways to say it: Shouting in frustration, expressing exasperation.

26. On the Verge of Tears

Meaning: Almost crying.
Example: “She was on the verge of tears during the farewell.”
Tone: Emotional, suppressed.
Other ways to say it: Almost breaking down, holding back tears.

27. A Sob Story

Meaning: A dramatic, often exaggerated, sad story.
Example: “He told a sob story to get sympathy.”
Tone: Manipulative, exaggerated.
Other ways to say it: Pity plea, emotional appeal.

28. Tears of Laughter

Meaning: Crying from laughing too hard.
Example: “We laughed so much that we had tears of laughter.”
Tone: Joyful, humorous.
Other ways to say it: Laughing hysterically, rolling with laughter.

Conclusion

Crying expresses a wide range of emotions, from sorrow to joy. These idioms capture the many ways we shed tears in life.