English Reference
Idiom idiom

burst into tears


To suddenly start crying or sobbing.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

“She burst into tears when she heard the sad news.”

CONTEXTUAL

“After failing the final exam, the student burst into tears in the middle of the library.”

COMPLEX

“Overwhelmed by the sudden outpouring of support from her friends, she burst into tears, unable to find the words to express her deep gratitude.”


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    blood, sweat and tears

    A person's determination and hard work.

  2. 02

    burst in

    to enter suddenly and unexpectedly

  3. 03

    burst out laughing

    To start laughing suddenly and intensely.

  4. 04

    burst someone's bubble

    To disillusion; to disabuse someone of a false notion or rationalization that has grown comfortable.

  5. 05

    end in tears

    To end badly.

  6. 06

    last burst of fire

    A final effort, a final attempt before stopping.

  7. 07

    move someone to tears

    to cause to cry

  8. 08

    reduce someone to tears

    To cause to cry.

Last updated August 10, 2026