These expressions, rooted in the rich soil of language and culture, provide a colorful lens through which we can examine the diverse ways in which humans relate to their emotions.
Idioms for Crying
1. “Crocodile Tears”
Meaning: Fake or insincere crying, typically to deceive or manipulate others.
In a Sentence: She shed crocodile tears at the funeral, pretending to mourn a loss she never truly felt.
2. “Cry over Spilt Milk”
Meaning: To lament or be upset over something that cannot be changed or undone.
In a Sentence: There’s no use crying over spilt milk; let’s focus on finding a solution instead.
3. “Cry Your Eyes Out”
Meaning: To cry very hard or for a long time.
In a Sentence: After watching the heart-wrenching movie, she needed to cry her eyes out to release the emotional tension.
4. “Bawl Your Eyes Out”
Meaning: To cry very hard or for a long time.
In a Sentence: The breakup was so devastating that she bawled her eyes out for hours.
5. “Cry on Someone’s Shoulder”
Meaning: To seek comfort or solace from someone during a time of emotional turmoil.
In a Sentence: Feeling overwhelmed, she needed to cry on her best friend’s shoulder for support.
6. “Cry Foul”
Meaning: To protest or complain about something that is unfair or unjust.
In a Sentence: The team didn’t hesitate to cry foul when they noticed the opposing side breaking the rules.
7. “Cry Havoc”
Meaning: To create or incite chaos or destruction.
In a Sentence: Releasing the classified information could cry havoc in the political landscape.
8. “Cry Wolf”
Meaning: To make false or exaggerated claims, particularly for attention or sympathy.
In a Sentence: He always cried wolf about being sick to avoid going to school.
9. “Cry Baby”
Meaning: Used to describe someone who cries easily or excessively.
In a Sentence: Stop being a cry baby; not everything requires tears.
10. “Cry Me a River”
Meaning: An expression of disbelief or skepticism towards someone’s tears or emotional display.
In a Sentence: Oh, please, cry me a river; I’ve heard enough of your excuses.
11. “Cry Uncle”
Meaning: To give up or surrender, often used in the context of physical exertion or competition.
In a Sentence: After the third round of the wrestling match, he had no choice but to cry uncle.
12. “Cry for the Moon”
Meaning: To demand something unattainable or unrealistic.
In a Sentence: Asking for a promotion after just one month on the job is like crying for the moon.
13. “Cry Hard Enough and Long Enough”
Meaning: To persist in crying until getting what one wants.
In a Sentence: The toddler knew that if he cried hard enough and long enough, he’d get that extra cookie.
14. “Cry Your Heart Out”
Meaning: To express deep emotions in intense crying.
In a Sentence: After the breakup, she went to her room and cried her heart out.
15. “Cry on the Inside”
Meaning: To keep one’s emotions and feelings inside while hiding them from others.
In a Sentence: Despite the tough exterior, she would often cry on the inside when facing challenges.
16. “Cry the Blues”
Meaning: To express feelings of sadness or disappointment through music or song.
In a Sentence: The old blues singer had a unique ability to cry the blues, making his music resonate with raw emotion.
17. “Cry of Victory”
Meaning: To express joy or elation, especially after achieving a long-sought goal or objective.
In a Sentence: His cry of victory echoed through the stadium as he scored the winning goal.
18. “Crying Shame”
Meaning: An unfortunate event or situation that is worthy of feeling sadness or sorrow.
In a Sentence: It’s a crying shame that such a talented artist didn’t get the recognition he deserved.
19. “Cry Havoc and Let Slip the Dogs of War”
Meaning: An idiomatic phrase from Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar” meaning to incite chaos or violence.
In a Sentence: The dictator’s speech seemed to cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war, leading to widespread unrest.
20. “Cry over Cut Onions”
Meaning: To pretend to be emotional to manipulate the situation, to pretend crying.
In a Sentence: She would cry over cut onions to avoid helping in the kitchen, a clever tactic to escape chores.
21. “Cry Like a Stuck Pig”
Meaning: To screech loudly or squeal, can also refer to somebody crying loudly and inconsolable.
In a Sentence: When the child lost his favorite toy, he started to cry like a stuck pig, drawing attention from everyone around.
22. “Cry Like a Baby”
Meaning: To cry uncontrollably, especially like a young child.
In a Sentence: Facing the horror movie alone, he couldn’t help but cry like a baby at every suspenseful moment.
23. “Cry Like a Banshee”
Meaning: To scream or wail with an intense and piercing sound; the banshee is a female spirit in Irish folklore who would cry when someone was about to die.
In a Sentence: The wind howled, making the trees sound like they were crying like banshees in the night.
24. “Cry on Command”
Meaning: To be able to cry at will or on demand, typically for acting or performance.
In a Sentence: As an actor, she mastered the art of crying on command, bringing authenticity to emotional scenes.
25. “Cry Uncle”
Meaning: To give up or surrender, often used in the context of physical exertion or competition.
In a Sentence: After an intense game of chess, he had no choice but to cry uncle in the face of his opponent’s strategic brilliance.
26. “Cry One’s Heart Out”
Meaning: To express deep emotions in intense crying or to be deeply hurt emotionally.
In a Sentence: The breakup left her devastated, and she needed to cry her heart out to heal.
Summary
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Crocodile Tears | Fake or insincere crying, typically to deceive or manipulate. |
| Cry over Spilt Milk | To lament or be upset over something that cannot be changed. |
| Cry Your Eyes Out | To cry very hard or for a long time. |
| Bawl Your Eyes Out | To cry very hard or for a long time. |
| Cry on Someone’s Shoulder | To seek comfort or solace from someone during emotional turmoil. |
| Cry Foul | To protest or complain about something unfair or unjust. |
| Cry Havoc | To create or incite chaos or destruction. |
| Cry Wolf | To make false or exaggerated claims, often for attention. |
| Cry Baby | Used to describe someone who cries easily or excessively. |
| Cry Me a River | Expression of disbelief or skepticism towards someone’s tears. |
| Cry Uncle | To give up or surrender, often in physical exertion or competition. |
| Cry for the Moon | To demand something unattainable or unrealistic. |
| Cry Hard Enough and Long Enough | To persist in crying until getting what one wants. |
| Cry Your Heart Out | To express deep emotions in intense crying. |
| Cry on the Inside | To keep emotions hidden from others. |
| Cry the Blues | To express sadness or disappointment through music or song. |
| Cry of Victory | To express joy or elation after achieving a long-sought goal. |
| Crying Shame | An unfortunate event worthy of sadness or sorrow. |
| Cry Havoc and Let Slip the Dogs of War | To incite chaos or violence (Shakespearean phrase). |
| Cry over Cut Onions | Pretend to be emotional to manipulate a situation. |
| Cry Like a Stuck Pig | To screech loudly or cry inconsolably. |
| Cry Like a Baby | To cry uncontrollably, especially like a young child. |
| Cry Like a Banshee | To scream or wail intensely, like the banshee in Irish folklore. |
| Cry on Command | To cry at will or on demand, often for acting or performance. |
| Cry Uncle | To give up or surrender, often in the context of competition. |
| Cry One’s Heart Out | To express deep emotions in intense crying or be deeply hurt emotionally. |
Conclusion
As we wrap up this journey through the diverse idioms for crying, it becomes clear that language, like tears, is a powerful tool for expressing the myriad emotions that define the human experience.