When feelings run deep, idioms for sadness help capture what simple words cannot. These phrases paint pictures of heavy hearts, quiet tears, and moments when the world feels dim. Each idiom offers a way to express sorrow with grace and clarity, making emotions easier to share.
Let’s explore how language can turn sadness into something beautifully spoken.
Best Idioms for Sadness
1. Broken heart
Meaning: The deep pain felt after emotional loss or failure.
In a Sentence:
She was left with a broken heart after the breakup.
His broken heart took years to heal.
Other Ways to Say: Heartache. Deep sorrow. Emotional pain.
2. Heavy heart
Meaning: A feeling of sadness and heaviness, often from grief.
In a Sentence:
He left the meeting with a heavy heart.
Her letter was written with a heavy heart.
Other Ways to Say: Full of sorrow. Burdened. Downcast.
3. Heart sinks
Meaning: The sudden feeling of disappointment or sadness.
In a Sentence:
My heart sank when I saw the test results.
His heart sank as the bad news was announced.
Other Ways to Say: Feel crushed. Feel let down. Lose hope.
4. Anticipatory grief
Meaning: Sadness felt before an expected loss happens.
In a Sentence:
She experienced anticipatory grief before her father’s surgery.
They dealt with anticipatory grief as their pet grew weaker.
Other Ways to Say: Pre-loss sadness. Expected sorrow. Foreseen grief.
5. Broken
Meaning: Feeling emotionally shattered after loss or failure.
In a Sentence:
He felt broken after losing his job.
She looked completely broken after the argument.
Other Ways to Say: Shattered. Devastated. Crushed.
6. Tear your heart out
Meaning: Extreme emotional pain, as if your heart is being ripped apart.
In a Sentence:
The news of her passing tore my heart out.
Watching the final scene really tore his heart out.
Other Ways to Say: Gut-wrenching. Heartbreaking. Agonizing.
7. Woe is me
Meaning: An expression of deep sadness or self-pity.
In a Sentence:
She sighed, “Woe is me,” after another bad day.
He kept repeating “Woe is me” after his team lost.
Other Ways to Say: Poor me. I’m so unlucky. What a pity.
8. Heart like lead
Meaning: Feeling unbearably heavy with sadness.
In a Sentence:
My heart felt like a lead when I heard the news.
She left with a heart-like lead after saying goodbye.
Other Ways to Say: Heavy-hearted. Burdened. Deeply sad.
9. Grieve your heart out
Meaning: To mourn deeply and intensely, especially after loss.
In a Sentence:
She grieved her heart out after the funeral.
He’s still grieving his heart out months later.
Other Ways to Say: Mourn deeply. Weep bitterly. Express sorrow.
10. Carry a heavy burden
Meaning: To bear long-lasting emotional pain or responsibility.
In a Sentence:
He’s carried a heavy burden since the accident.
She carries a heavy burden of guilt.
Other Ways to Say: Bear sorrow. Shoulder grief. Live with pain.
11. Down in the dumps
Meaning: Feeling sad, depressed, or discouraged.
In a Sentence:
He’s been down in the dumps all week.
She felt down in the dumps after failing the test.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling low. In a slump. Blue.
12. Down in the mouth
Meaning: Looking sad or disappointed, shown clearly on the face.
In a Sentence:
She looked down in the mouth after the meeting.
You’ve been down in the mouth lately—what’s wrong?
Other Ways to Say: Glum. Crestfallen. Dejected.
13. In a funk
Meaning: Being in a low mood, feeling sad or unmotivated.
In a Sentence:
He’s in a funk because of the gloomy weather.
I’ve been in a funk since the project got canceled.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling blah. Sluggish. In low spirits.
14. Out of sorts
Meaning: Feeling unwell, sad, or not quite yourself.
In a Sentence:
She’s a bit out of sorts after the long trip.
I woke up feeling out of sorts this morning.
Other Ways to Say: Off-balance. Not right. Under the weather.
15. Downhearted
Meaning: Feeling discouraged or deeply sad.
In a Sentence:
He was downhearted after losing the match.
Don’t be downhearted—you did your best.
Other Ways to Say: Disheartened. Discouraged. Low.
Related Post: 50 Best Idioms for Crying and Sadness
16. Low spirits
Meaning: A state of being sad or emotionally down.
In a Sentence:
We’ve all been in low spirits this winter.
She’s in low spirits after the breakup.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling down. Moody. Depressed.
17. Feel blue
Meaning: To feel sad or gloomy for no specific reason.
In a Sentence:
I always feel blue on rainy days.
He’s been feeling blue since the holiday ended.
Other Ways to Say: Down. Melancholy. Sad.
18. In the doldrums
Meaning: Feeling bored, sad, or lacking energy and enthusiasm.
In a Sentence:
Business is in the doldrums after the holiday rush.
She’s been in the doldrums lately at work.
Other Ways to Say: Stuck. In a slump. Spiritless.
19. Hang your head
Meaning: To lower your head in sadness, shame, or disappointment.
In a Sentence:
He hung his head after missing the goal.
She hung her head in shame during the apology.
Other Ways to Say: Bow your head. Look downcast. Drop your gaze.
20. Singing the blues
Meaning: Talking or complaining about your sadness or troubles.
In a Sentence:
He’s been singing the blues about his job for months.
She started singing the blues after her plans fell through.
Other Ways to Say: Complaining. Whining. Lamenting.
21. Shed tears
Meaning: To cry as an expression of sadness or emotional pain.
In a Sentence:
She shed tears during the farewell speech.
He quietly shed tears after hearing the news.
Other Ways to Say: Weep. Cry. Let tears fall.
22. Cry one’s eyes/heart out
Meaning: To cry intensely and for a long time due to deep sorrow.
In a Sentence:
She cried her eyes out after the breakup.
He cried his heart out at the funeral.
Other Ways to Say: Sob uncontrollably. Weep bitterly. Bawl.
23. Cry crocodile tears
Meaning: To fake sadness or sympathy, often to manipulate others.
In a Sentence:
He cried crocodile tears when he got caught cheating.
Don’t believe her apology—it was just crocodile tears.
Other Ways to Say: Fake Cry. Pretend to be sorry. Show false sympathy.
24. Lump in your throat
Meaning: A tight feeling in your throat caused by strong emotion, often sadness.
In a Sentence:
I had a lump in my throat during her speech.
He tried to speak but the lump in his throat stopped him.
Other Ways to Say: Choked up. Moved. Emotionally overwhelmed.
25. Be cut up
Meaning: To be very upset or emotionally affected.
In a Sentence:
He was really cut up about the accident.
She’s still cut up over losing her pet.
Other Ways to Say: Devastated. Shattered. Distraught.
26. Weep buckets
Meaning: To cry excessively, as if crying a whole bucket of tears.
In a Sentence:
She wept buckets after reading the letter.
He wept buckets when he saw the old photo.
Other Ways to Say: Cry a lot. Bawl. Sob heavily.
27. Eyes well up
Meaning: When your eyes fill with tears, usually from sadness or strong emotion.
In a Sentence:
Her eyes welled up at the goodbye party.
His eyes welled up when he saw the empty room.
Other Ways to Say: Tear up. Get misty-eyed. Fill with tears.
28. Choke up
Meaning: To become so emotional that you struggle to speak.
In a Sentence:
He choked up during the eulogy.
I always choke up when I talk about her.
Other Ways to Say: Get emotional. Lose your voice. Be overwhelmed.
29. Sob your heart out
Meaning: To cry intensely, showing deep emotional pain.
In a Sentence:
She sobbed her heart out after the final goodbye.
He sobbed his heart out watching the movie.
Other Ways to Say: Cry deeply. Wail. Break down.
30. Bawl your eyes out
Meaning: To cry loudly and uncontrollably.
In a Sentence:
The child bawled her eyes out after falling.
He bawled his eyes out the whole night.
Other Ways to Say: Wail. Cry loudly. Howl.
31. Bittersweet
Meaning: A feeling that mixes happiness with sadness at the same time.
In a Sentence:
Graduating was a bittersweet moment for everyone.
It was bittersweet to leave the city where I grew up.
Other Ways to Say: Mixed emotions. Happy-sad. Nostalgic.
32. Face like a wet weekend
Meaning: Looking visibly sad, gloomy, or downcast.
In a Sentence:
He came into work with a face like a wet weekend.
She looked like a wet weekend after the argument.
Other Ways to Say: Gloomy. Downcast. Miserable.
33. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: To be upset about something that has already happened and cannot be changed.
In a Sentence:
Stop crying over spilled milk; it’s done now.
They argued for hours, just crying over spilled milk.
Other Ways to Say: Regret the past. Dwell on mistakes. Mourn what’s lost.
34. Bad
Meaning: Feeling generally down or unhappy, often without a strong reason.
In a Sentence:
I’m feeling bad about how I spoke to her.
He felt bad all day after the meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Down. Blue. Low.
35. Feel down
Meaning: To feel temporarily sad or discouraged.
In a Sentence:
I’ve been feeling down lately.
She feels down whenever it rains.
Other Ways to Say: Feel low. Be sad. Be in a slump.
Related Post: 50 Idioms for Cold That Add Icy Impact
36. Have a long face
Meaning: To look visibly sad or disappointed.
In a Sentence:
Why the long face? Did something happen?
He had a long face after losing the match.
Other Ways to Say: Look glum. Look dejected. Appear sorrowful.
37. Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling a bit ill or down, often temporarily.
In a Sentence:
She’s been under the weather all week.
I’m feeling a bit under the weather today.
Other Ways to Say: Not yourself. Out of sorts. Feeling off.
38. Blue in the face
Meaning: Feeling frustrated, sad, or defeated after trying repeatedly without success.
In a Sentence:
I explained it until I was blue in the face.
She pleaded with him until she was blue in the face.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted. Frustrated. Defeated.
39. Mope around
Meaning: To move around slowly and sadly, often showing you’re unhappy.
In a Sentence:
He’s been moping around all day.
She moped around the house after the breakup.
Other Ways to Say: Linger sadly. Sulk. Be gloomy.
40. Feel sorry for yourself
Meaning: To pity yourself because of sadness or disappointment.
In a Sentence:
She spent the weekend feeling sorry for herself.
He always feels sorry for himself when things go wrong.
Other Ways to Say: Self-pity. Dwell on sadness. Wallow.
41. Have the blues
Meaning: To feel sad or depressed over a period of time, often without a clear reason.
In a Sentence:
I’ve had the blues since the holidays ended.
She’s got the blues every winter.
Other Ways to Say: Feel down. Be gloomy. Low mood.
42. Be under a cloud
Meaning: To be in a state of sadness or feeling troubled for an extended time.
In a Sentence:
He’s been under a cloud since the layoffs.
She worked under a cloud of anxiety for months.
Other Ways to Say: Depressed. Burdened. Feeling heavy.
43. A misery guts
Meaning: A person who is constantly gloomy, complaining, or negative.
In a Sentence:
Stop being such a misery guts and enjoy yourself!
He’s a real misery gut when things don’t go his way.
Other Ways to Say: Grumbler. Sourpuss. Pessimist.
44. Drown your sorrows
Meaning: To drink alcohol or do something to try to forget sadness.
In a Sentence:
He went out to drown his sorrows after the breakup.
She drowned her sorrows with a tub of ice cream.
Other Ways to Say: Escape sadness. Numb the pain. Seek comfort.
45. In low spirits
Meaning: To be feeling generally sad, down, or lacking energy.
In a Sentence:
She’s been in low spirits since the accident.
We were all in low spirits after the bad news.
Other Ways to Say: Downcast. Depressed. Feeling blue.
46. Cast a shadow
Meaning: A sadness or trouble that lingers over a person or situation.
In a Sentence:
The loss cast a shadow over the whole event.
Her illness cast a shadow on their vacation plans.
Other Ways to Say: Darken. Hang over. Dampen the mood.
47. Live in the shadows
Meaning: To live in sadness, obscurity, or isolation.
In a Sentence:
He’s been living in the shadows since retiring.
She felt like she was living in the shadows of her past.
Other Ways to Say: Stay hidden. Remain unnoticed. Feel isolated.
48. Cloud hanging over
Meaning: A lingering sadness, worry, or trouble that overshadows everything.
In a Sentence:
There’s been a cloud hanging over the office lately.
A cloud hung over their celebrations after the loss.
Other Ways to Say: Ominous feeling. Lingering worry. Dark presence.
49. Wallow in despair
Meaning: To sink deeply into sadness or hopelessness, often without trying to recover.
In a Sentence:
He wallowed in despair for weeks after the rejection.
She tends to wallow in despair when things go wrong.
Other Ways to Say: Dwell in sadness. Be consumed by grief. Sink into the gloom.
50. Heart like a stone
Meaning: To feel emotionally numb or unfeeling, often due to long-term sadness or disappointment.
In a Sentence:
After all the heartbreak, she now has a heart like a stone.
He acted with a heart like a stone during the trial.
Other Ways to Say: Emotionless. Hardened heart. Cold-hearted.
Exercise to practice
- After hearing the bad news, her __________ made it hard to speak.
- He tried to stay strong, but his eyes started to __________.
- I’ve been feeling __________ all week because of the gloomy weather.
- They told her not to __________ over spilled milk, but she couldn’t help it.
- The loss of his best friend left him with a __________ for months.
- His __________ showed when he couldn’t stop crying during the movie.
- I hate seeing you __________; let’s go out and have some fun.
- She __________ her eyes out after the breakup.
- Everyone could tell he was __________ by the way he sighed all day.
- Don’t __________ in despair; things will get better soon.
Answer
- lump in her throat
- well up
- down in the dumps
- cry
- heavy heart
- sorrow
- feel blue
- bawled
- under the weather
- wallow
Conclusion
The idioms for sadness you’ve just explored offer more than words—they create images of broken hearts, quiet sobs, and shadows of grief. These phrases turn deep emotions into vivid, shareable language. Try weaving a few into your next conversation or piece of writing to bring feeling to life.
Ready to express sadness more deeply? Pick one idiom and practice using it today!
Danny Weber is a language enthusiast and freelance writer with a passion for unpacking the beauty of idioms and metaphors. Through years of research and creative exploration, Danny helps readers understand the deeper meanings behind familiar phrases—making figurative language feel accessible, engaging, and alive. Whether he’s decoding classic sayings or crafting new twists on old expressions, Danny’s work invites you to see language with fresh eyes.
