Idioms are special phrases where the words together mean something different from what they say one by one. People use them to make their speaking and writing more colorful, fun, and expressive. In this article, you will learn fifty different idioms that all relate to crying a lot.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms that mean shedding many tears or feeling very sad. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Crying a Lot
1. Shed bucket loads
Definition: To cry a very large amount of tears because of deep sadness or pain.
Used in a Sentence: She sat on her bed and shed bucket loads after hearing the bad news. / He shed bucket loads when his favorite pet ran away from home.
Similar Expressions: Cry a river / Weep oceans
2. Turn on the waterworks
Definition: To start crying, sometimes to get attention or sympathy from others.
Used in a Sentence: The little boy turned on the waterworks when he did not get his favorite candy. / She always turns on the waterworks whenever she gets caught breaking a rule.
Similar Expressions: Start bawling / Open the floodgates
3. Cry one’s eyes out
Definition: To weep heavily and continuously for a long period.
Used in a Sentence: Maya cried her eyes out after losing her gold necklace at the park. / Leo cried his eyes out watching the sad movie ending.
Similar Expressions: Sob uncontrollably / Weep bitterly
4. Bawl like a baby
Definition: To cry loudly and without holding back, just like a newborn infant.
Used in a Sentence: The toddler bawled like a baby when his ice cream fell on the hot pavement. / He bawled like a baby during the emotional family reunion.
Similar Expressions: Cry out loud / Howl in tears
5. Weep rivers
Definition: To produce a massive flow of tears from extreme grief.
Used in a Sentence: The grieving family wept rivers at the funeral of their beloved grandfather. / Fans wept rivers when their favorite sports star announced retirement.
Similar Expressions: Cry oceans / Flood with tears
6. Have a good cry
Definition: To let all the sadness out by crying freely until feeling better.
Used in a Sentence: It is healthy to have a good cry when things get too overwhelming. / She had a good cry in her room and then felt ready to talk.
Similar Expressions: Release the tears / Vent through weeping
7. Cry a river
Definition: To shed an enormous amount of tears over a disappointing situation.
Used in a Sentence: You can cry a river all you want, but the trip is still canceled. / She cried a river when her best friend moved to a different city.
Similar Expressions: Weep oceans / Shed bucket loads
8. Sob one’s heart out
Definition: To cry with deep, heavy breaths because of profound emotional hurt.
Used in a Sentence: He sobbed his heart out when he failed the final math test. / She sobbed her heart out after dropping her art project.
Similar Expressions: Cry bitterly / Weep deeply
9. Dissolve into tears
Definition: To suddenly start crying very hard and losing emotional control.
Used in a Sentence: Anna dissolved into tears when she heard her grandmother was sick. / The young actor dissolved into tears of joy winning the award.
Similar Expressions: Break down / Fall apart crying
10. Flood the pillow
Definition: To get a bed pillow completely wet with tears during a night of heavy crying.
Used in a Sentence: Sam flooded the pillow thinking about his missing dog all night. / She flooded the pillow after reading the tragic book chapter.
Similar Expressions: Soak the sheets / Cry all night
11. Redden the eyes
Definition: To have swollen and red eyes from crying for a long time.
Used in a Sentence: Her mother noticed her reddened eyes after a long phone call. / He tried to hide his reddened eyes before entering the classroom.
Similar Expressions: Have puffy eyes / Show tear stains
12. Cry oneself to sleep
Definition: To keep weeping until falling asleep at night due to sorrow.
Used in a Sentence: The lonely child cried himself to sleep on his first night away at camp. / She cried herself to sleep after arguing with her sister.
Similar Expressions: Weep through the night / Fall asleep sobbing
13. Weep buckets
Definition: To shed a huge quantity of tears over a stressful event.
Used in a Sentence: We all wept buckets when our school drama play ended. / He wept buckets of tears during the graduation ceremony.
Similar Expressions: Shed bucket loads / Cry buckets
14. Pump the water
Definition: To force out a heavy stream of tears when upset.
Used in a Sentence: She started to pump the water the second the teacher scolded her. / There is no need to pump the water over a minor mistake.
Similar Expressions: Force tears / Turn on the waterworks
15. Tear up a storm
Definition: To cry intensely and make a big emotional scene.
Used in a Sentence: The little girl tore up a storm when she lost her favorite doll. / He tore up a storm in the grocery store aisle.
Similar Expressions: Throw a tantrum in tears / Bawl loudly
16. Burst into tears
Definition: To suddenly begin crying very hard without any warning.
Used in a Sentence: Mark burst into tears when he scraped his knee on the playground. / She burst into tears upon reading the acceptance letter.
Similar Expressions: Break down / Start sobbing
17. Pour out tears
Definition: To let a large volume of tears flow freely down the face.
Used in a Sentence: The audience poured out tears watching the heroic dog movie. / He poured out tears while apologizing for his mistake.
Similar Expressions: Shed tears / Release grief
18. Rain drops from eyes
Definition: To have a steady stream of heavy tears falling like rain.
Used in a Sentence: Rain dropped from her eyes as she said goodbye to her friends. / He watched rain drop from his eyes into the sink mirror.
Similar Expressions: Weep drops / Pour tears
19. Produce a downpour
Definition: To cry so heavily that it feels like a rainstorm of tears.
Used in a Sentence: Her sad story produced a downpour of sympathy from the listeners. / The breakup produced a downpour of sadness.
Similar Expressions: Heavy crying / Flood the room
20. Wail in grief
Definition: To cry out loudly with deep sorrow and pain.
Used in a Sentence: The villagers wailed in grief after the storm destroyed their homes. / She wailed in grief hearing the tragic news.
Similar Expressions: Cry in anguish / Scream and weep
21. Sob with grief
Definition: To cry heavily and shake with deep sorrow.
Used in a Sentence: He sat on the bench and sobbed with grief. / The community sobbed with grief after the accident.
Similar Expressions: Mourn deeply / Weep with sorrow
22. Cry a flood
Definition: To release an overwhelming amount of tears.
Used in a Sentence: She cried a flood when her painting won first place. / He cried a flood over losing his wallet.
Similar Expressions: Flood the floor / Cry an ocean
23. Water the garden
Definition: A humorous way to describe crying so much that the ground gets wet.
Used in a Sentence: Grandma joked that she watered the garden with her tears during the sad movie. / He watered the garden outside his window while crying over his lost bike.
Similar Expressions: Drench the yard / Cry a lot
24. Weep a storm
Definition: To cry intensely during a difficult and emotional moment.
Used in a Sentence: The student wept a storm after dropping his science project. / She wept a storm when her cat climbed a tree and got stuck.
Similar Expressions: Cry a storm / Bawl heavily
25. Cry until dry
Definition: To keep crying until there are no tears left to shed.
Used in a Sentence: She cried until dry after hearing the devastating news. / He sat quietly after crying until dry.
Similar Expressions: Cry out all tears / Empty the tear ducts
26. Fill a bucket with tears
Definition: To exaggerate the amount of crying done over a sad event.
Used in a Sentence: You could fill a bucket with tears from all the drama club members today. / She felt like she filled a bucket with tears over a broken mug.
Similar Expressions: Shed bucket loads / Weep tons
27. Let the tears flow
Definition: To stop holding back emotions and allow yourself to cry.
Used in a Sentence: The counselor told him it was okay to let the tears flow. / She let the tears flow during the emotional song.
Similar Expressions: Release emotions / Cry freely
28. Open the emotional floodgates
Definition: To release a massive wave of pent-up crying and feelings.
Used in a Sentence: Hearing her favorite song opened the emotional floodgates. / He tried to stay strong, but the speech opened the emotional floodgates.
Similar Expressions: Unleash tears / Break down completely
29. Weep an ocean
Definition: To cry an impossibly large amount of tears.
Used in a Sentence: She felt like she wept an ocean when her best friend moved away. / He wept an ocean of tears after losing the championship game.
Similar Expressions: Cry a river / Flood the world
30. Cry one’s heart out
Definition: To weep with all your emotional energy until you feel exhausted.
Used in a Sentence: She cried her heart out after losing her diary. / He cried his heart out when his team lost.
Similar Expressions: Sob intensely / Weep heavily
31. Drown in tears
Definition: To feel completely overwhelmed by a massive amount of crying.
Used in a Sentence: She felt like she was going to drown in tears after the tough breakup. / He nearly drowned in tears reading the tragic ending.
Similar Expressions: Overwhelmed by weeping / Sink in sorrow
32. Spray tears
Definition: To cry quickly and scatter small tears while moving around.
Used in a Sentence: The running child sprayed tears everywhere after tripping on the track. / She sprayed tears as she rushed out of the room.
Similar Expressions: Scatter tears / Weep in haste
33. Leak like a sieve
Definition: To have tears constantly dripping from your eyes without stopping.
Used in a Sentence: Her eyes leaked like a sieve during the allergy season and sad movie. / He leaked like a sieve every time he heard a touching story.
Similar Expressions: Cry constantly / Tear up non-stop
34. Let go of the tears
Definition: To stop fighting sadness and start crying openly.
Used in a Sentence: He finally let go of the tears he had held in all day. / She felt much better after letting go of the tears.
Similar Expressions: Release crying / Cry it out
35. Shed bitter tears
Definition: To cry deeply because of regret, pain, or heartbreak.
Used in a Sentence: He shed bitter tears after realizing his mistake cost the team the game. / She shed bitter tears over the harsh words spoken.
Similar Expressions: Weep with regret / Cry in agony
36. Weep torrents
Definition: To shed rapid, heavy streams of tears like a rushing river.
Used in a Sentence: The heavy rain matched the torrents she wept over her lost ring. / He wept torrents of tears during the emotional documentary.
Similar Expressions: Cry streams / Shed rushing tears
37. Sob uncontrollably
Definition: To cry with sharp, broken breaths and zero control over the tears.
Used in a Sentence: The little girl sobbed uncontrollably when she lost her mother in the store. / He sobbed uncontrollably upon hearing the tragic announcement.
Similar Expressions: Cry helplessly / Weep without stopping
38. Weep silently and heavily
Definition: To cry a lot without making loud sounds, but with many tears falling.
Used in a Sentence: She sat in the back row and wept silently and heavily. / He wept silently and heavily so no one would hear him.
Similar Expressions: Cry quietly a lot / Shed hidden tears
39. Melt into a puddle of tears
Definition: To become completely overcome by sadness and heavy crying.
Used in a sentence: She melted into a puddle of tears when she saw the puppy surprise. / He melted into a puddle of tears listening to the poem.
Similar Expressions: Fall apart / Dissolve in crying
40. Wash the face with tears
Definition: To cry so much that your entire face is covered in wet tears.
Used in a Sentence: She washed her face with tears after hearing the devastating news. / He washed his face with tears during the sad farewell.
Similar Expressions: Drench the face / Soak in tears
41. Cry a lake
Definition: To produce a large body of tears over an upsetting event.
Used in a Sentence: She could cry a lake over losing her favorite jacket. / He cried a lake when his favorite character was written out of the show.
Similar Expressions: Cry a river / Weep an ocean
42. Pour out a fountain of tears
Definition: To have tears gushing out continuously like a water fountain.
Used in a Sentence: The sad book opened a fountain of tears for the reader. / She poured out a fountain of tears during the assembly.
Similar Expressions: Gush tears / Stream weeping
43. Cry buckets of water
Definition: To shed an enormous volume of tears over something heartbreaking.
Used in a Sentence: He cried buckets of water when his old treehouse was torn down. / She cried buckets of water watching the rescue story.
Similar Expressions: Shed bucket loads / Weep buckets
44. Lose control in tears
Definition: To completely break down emotionally and cry without stopping.
Used in a Sentence: She lost control in tears when the bad news was confirmed. / He lost control in tears in front of his classmates.
Similar Expressions: Break down / Fall apart
45. Weep until exhausted
Definition: To keep crying until you are too tired to produce any more tears.
Used in a Sentence: The toddler wept until exhausted and fell asleep on the rug. / She wept until exhausted after a very stressful week.
Similar Expressions: Cry till tired / Drain energy crying
46. Let tears stream down
Definition: To allow heavy tears to run freely down both cheeks.
Used in a Sentence: He let tears stream down as he listened to the national anthem. / She let tears stream down her face during the play.
Similar Expressions: Run tears / Stream weeping
47. Flood the cheeks
Definition: To have so many tears that your cheeks are completely soaked.
Used in a Sentence: Tears flooded her cheeks when she hugged her long-distance friend. / He wiped his cheeks which were flooded with tears.
Similar Expressions: Soak the face / Drench cheeks
48. Weep with a broken heart
Definition: To cry heavily because of extreme emotional pain or heartbreak.
Used in a Sentence: She sat alone and wept with a broken heart after the argument. / He wept with a broken heart when his best friend moved away.
Similar Expressions: Cry in heartbreak / Weep in agony
49. Cry nonstop
Definition: To weep continuously for a long time without taking a break.
Used in a Sentence: The baby cried nonstop during the long airplane flight. / She cried nonstop after dropping her birthday cake.
Similar Expressions: Weep continually / Sob endlessly
50. Shed endless tears
Definition: To cry so much that it feels like the tears will never stop coming.
Used in a Sentence: The family shed endless tears during the difficult farewell. / He felt he could shed endless tears over the loss.
Similar Expressions: Cry forever / Weep endlessly
Exercise to Practice
- Shedding bucket loads means to cry a very large amount of tears because of deep sadness.
- Turning on the waterworks means laughing loudly at a funny joke.
- Crying one’s eyes out means to weep heavily and continuously for a long time.
- Bawling like a baby means whispering quietly to a friend in the library.
- Weeping rivers means to produce a massive flow of tears from extreme grief.
- Having a good cry means refusing to show any emotions ever.
- Crying a river means to shed an enormous amount of tears over a disappointing situation.
- Sobbing one’s heart out means running very fast in a sports race.
- Dissolving into tears means to suddenly start crying very hard.
- Flooding the pillow means getting a bed pillow completely wet with tears during a night of heavy crying.
- Reddening the eyes means painting your face bright red for a school play.
- Crying oneself to sleep means to keep weeping until falling asleep at night due to sorrow.
- Weeping buckets means to bake delicious cookies in the kitchen.
- Bursting into tears means to suddenly begin crying very hard without any warning.
- Opening the emotional floodgates means to release a massive wave of pent-up crying and feelings.
Answer Key
- True
- False
- True
- False
- True
- False
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- False
- True
- True
Conclusion
Learning idioms about crying a lot helps you understand deep emotions in stories and everyday conversations. These fun expressions make your English sound much more natural and expressive when talking about feelings.
Try using a few of these phrases the next time you read a sad story or watch an emotional movie with your friends. Practicing them in real life is the best way to remember their meanings forever!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some common idioms for crying a lot?
Common expressions include shedding bucket loads, turning on the waterworks, and crying one’s eyes out. People use these phrases to describe very heavy weeping or feeling deeply sad.
Why do we use idioms in English?
Idioms make our language more colorful, creative, and interesting than using plain everyday words. They help us share complex feelings like intense sadness in a fun and memorable way.
How can I remember these crying idioms easily?
You can remember them by connecting each phrase to a picture in your mind or using them when talking about sad scenes in movies. Practice writing your own sentences with them every week.
Are all of these idioms appropriate for school?
Yes, all fifty expressions listed here are polite and friendly for students of any age to use in writing or speech. They are common English phrases found in books and stories.
Do these idioms mean the exact same thing?
While they all relate to crying a lot, some focus on crying loudly, others on crying for a long time, and some on sudden emotional tears. Checking the definitions helps you pick the right one.
