# cry over spilt milk

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/cry-over-spilt-milk
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To worry about unfortunate events which have already happened and which cannot be changed.

## Examples

- It is useless to cry over spilt milk.
- You lost the game, but there is no point in crying over spilt milk.
- Although the investment failed, the manager urged his team to move forward rather than cry over spilt milk.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.