Sometimes, when people feel sad, they cry. But instead of saying “I cried,” people often use special expressions. These are called idioms. Idioms are fun phrases that don’t mean exactly what the words say. They help us understand feelings in a deeper way.
In this article, we’ll learn idioms about tears and crying. These idioms can show how strong emotions feel, like when someone is hurt, touched, or missing someone. They help us picture what crying feels like without using plain words. Let’s explore some common idioms for tears and how to use them.
Idioms for Tears
1. The floodgates opened
Meaning: Started crying a lot all at once.
Samples: When I saw the sad movie, the floodgates opened. / As soon as she left, the floodgates opened.
To Put it Another Way: I cried a lot suddenly. / I couldn’t hold the tears anymore.
2. Tears rolled like rain
Meaning: Tears fell steadily, like rain.
Samples: Tears rolled like rain after I lost my dog. / When he got hurt, tears rolled like rain.
To Put it Another Way: I cried slowly and didn’t stop. / My cheeks were wet with tears.
3. A storm of tears
Meaning: Cried very hard with strong emotions.
Samples: She had a storm of tears when she failed the test. / It was a storm of tears after the fight.
To Put it Another Way: I cried loudly and with big feelings. / My sadness came out fast.
4. Eyes turned into waterfalls
Meaning: Cried so much that it felt like water was pouring out.
Samples: His eyes turned into waterfalls during the sad song. / My eyes turned into waterfalls at the goodbye.
To Put it Another Way: So many tears came out. / I couldn’t stop crying.
5. A river ran down my cheeks
Meaning: Tears flowed smoothly and didn’t stop.
Samples: A river ran down my cheeks after the bad news. / Her cheeks felt like a river of tears.
To Put it Another Way: The tears just kept coming. / I felt them flow down.
6. The dam broke
Meaning: Cried suddenly after holding it in.
Samples: After trying to stay strong, the dam broke. / The dam broke when she hugged me.
To Put it Another Way: I couldn’t hold it in anymore. / I finally let the tears out.
7. Drowning in tears
Meaning: Feeling overwhelmed while crying.
Samples: I was drowning in tears after my pet passed. / He looked like he was drowning in tears.
To Put it Another Way: The crying took over. / I felt buried in sadness.
8. A cloud burst from my eyes
Meaning: Crying like rain falling from a cloud.
Samples: A cloud burst from my eyes during the sad story. / Her eyes let out a cloud burst after the goodbye.
To Put it Another Way: I cried like a sudden rain. / Tears came out quickly.
9. Weeping like a broken sky
Meaning: Crying heavily, like a stormy sky.
Samples: He was weeping like a broken sky at the funeral. / She wept like a broken sky.
To Put it Another Way: I cried loudly like thunder. / It was heavy and sad.
10. The faucet turned on
Meaning: Tears started flowing fast.
Samples: When he spoke, the faucet turned on. / My faucet turned on after the bad news.
To Put it Another Way: Tears poured quickly. / I started crying right away.
11. Tears painted my face
Meaning: Tears covered the whole face.
Samples: After falling, tears painted my face. / Her tears painted her cheeks during the sad play.
To Put it Another Way: My whole face was wet. / The tears showed how I felt.
12. My heart leaked through my eyes
Meaning: Tears showed deep feelings.
Samples: My heart leaked through my eyes when I said goodbye. / His heart leaked through his eyes at the memory.
To Put it Another Way: I cried from deep inside. / My feelings came out as tears.
13. Tears spilled like a knocked-over cup
Meaning: Tears came quickly and messily.
Samples: Tears spilled like a knocked-over cup after she left. / My tears spilled like a cup when I got scared.
To Put it Another Way: I couldn’t stop them. / They came fast and all over.
14. My eyes rained sorrow
Meaning: Crying from deep sadness.
Samples: Her eyes rained sorrow all night. / His eyes rained sorrow after the bad dream.
To Put it Another Way: I cried quietly but with big feelings. / Every tear was full of hurt.
15. A flood rose inside me
Meaning: Strong feelings built up and caused tears.
Samples: A flood rose inside me when I saw her leave. / He had a flood of tears during lunch.
To Put it Another Way: The crying was ready to come out. / I burst from the inside.
16. Crying like cracked glass
Meaning: Quiet and painful crying.
Samples: She cried like cracked glass after the argument. / I was crying like cracked glass in bed.
To Put it Another Way: It hurt quietly. / The crying felt sharp.
17. My chest thundered with sobs
Meaning: Loud, shaking sobs came from deep inside.
Samples: His chest thundered with sobs after the call. / She sobbed until her chest thundered.
To Put it Another Way: My body shook with tears. / It was hard crying.
18. Eyes poured out broken pieces
Meaning: Crying from emotional pain.
Samples: Her eyes poured out broken pieces at the memory. / I poured sadness from my eyes.
To Put it Another Way: My heart felt broken. / My tears showed my pain.
19. Tears fell like shattered stars
Meaning: Crying felt like something beautiful breaking.
Samples: After my pet passed, my tears fell like shattered stars. / The night was full of shattered star tears.
To Put it Another Way: My sadness felt deep and bright. / I cried from love and loss.
20. Crying like a song without words
Meaning: Crying that says what words can’t.
Samples: I cried like a song without words at the memory. / Her crying was like a wordless song.
To Put it Another Way: I didn’t speak, but my tears said it all. / My feelings came through the tears.
21. The ocean spilled from my eyes
Meaning: Crying a lot, like a sea of tears.
Samples: The ocean spilled from my eyes when I saw the picture. / He cried an ocean of tears.
To Put it Another Way: So many tears came out. / I cried more than ever.
22. My face melted with tears
Meaning: Tears covered the face completely.
Samples: Her face melted with tears at the sad part. / My tears melted down my cheeks.
To Put it Another Way: My face was soaked. / I couldn’t hold back the crying.
23. Crying like a sky losing its sun
Meaning: Crying from deep loss.
Samples: I cried like a sky losing its sun when she moved. / His tears came like a dark sky.
To Put it Another Way: I felt empty. / My heart felt like it lost something big.
24. My heart rained sadness
Meaning: Crying from deep inside the heart.
Samples: Her heart rained sadness after the goodbye. / My heart rained sadness all evening.
To Put it Another Way: My tears came from hurt feelings. / It was emotional and real.
25. Crying like a broken song
Meaning: Crying with sobs and stops.
Samples: I cried like a broken song at the memory. / He sobbed like a broken song.
To Put it Another Way: The tears came with stops. / It was uneven and shaky crying.
26. The tears marched down
Meaning: Tears fell slowly, one after the other.
Samples: Her tears marched down during the speech. / I watched my tears march down.
To Put it Another Way: I cried calmly. / The tears came slowly.
27. Crying like a wilted flower
Meaning: Crying while feeling weak or tired.
Samples: I cried like a wilted flower after the sad dream. / She looked like a flower that lost its light.
To Put it Another Way: I felt small and sad. / My crying showed I was tired.
28. A storm lived in my eyes
Meaning: Strong feelings ready to pour out.
Samples: A storm lived in my eyes when I saw the old letter. / I felt a storm ready in my eyes.
To Put it Another Way: I was about to cry. / My eyes were full of tears.
29. My tears whispered pain
Meaning: Quiet crying full of sadness.
Samples: Her tears whispered pain during the goodbye. / I didn’t cry loud, but my pain showed.
To Put it Another Way: I was hurting quietly. / The sadness was still strong.
30. Crying like a book with no end
Meaning: Crying that feels like it won’t stop.
Samples: I was crying like a book with no end. / It felt like I would cry forever.
To Put it Another Way: I didn’t know when it would stop. / The tears just kept coming.
Find the Topics: Idioms for Tears
Reading Passage: “The Last Recess”
It was the last day of school, and the fifth graders were saying goodbye. Emma stood by the swings, holding her yearbook. She smiled at her friends but felt a storm in her eyes. When her best friend Lily hugged her, the dam broke.
Emma walked toward the fence so others wouldn’t see. A river ran down her cheeks as she remembered all their fun times. Her heart leaked through her eyes, and she wiped her face with her sleeve.
The boys were playing soccer nearby, and one of them ran up to her. “Are you okay?” he asked. She nodded, but her tears whispered pain. Just then, Lily joined her again and gave her a tissue.
“It’s okay to be sad,” Lily said. Emma smiled a little, even though her eyes had turned into waterfalls. They sat together in silence. For a few minutes, the floodgates had opened, and Emma felt like she was crying like a book with no end.
Your Task:
Can you find and underline or list all 8 idioms for tears used in the story?
Answer Key
- A storm in her eyes
- The dam broke
- A river ran down her cheeks
- Her heart leaked through her eyes
- Her tears whispered pain
- Her eyes had turned into waterfalls
- The floodgates had opened
- Crying like a book with no end
Conclusion
Sometimes we cry when we feel strong emotions like sadness, love, or even joy. Idioms for tears help us describe these feelings in a more thoughtful way. They show what crying feels like without saying it directly.
Learning these idioms can help you talk about emotions in a deeper and clearer way. The next time you feel like crying, you might say, “The floodgates opened” or “My eyes turned into waterfalls.” These phrases can help others understand how you feel by using words that paint a picture.
