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Glite Dictionary
to bawl one's eyes out

to bawl one's eyes out

3 7.6
Cry very loudly and for a long time
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : llorar a mares
  • And, of course, you're... you're bawling your eyes out, the tears are bouncing off your cheeks, but I'm not upset at all, you know, and I don't know what to do.
  • bawling her eyes out right now
  • bawling your eyes out right

Examples

  • As I was playing with the kids, letting them climb all over me, I saw a young boy in the corner, bawling his eyes out.

    Blog text (18)

  • I am in total shock that a 5-year-old would be this stupid to continue to scream her head off and bawl her eyes out about having to go to bed (plus the puking all over the house,

    Blog text (10)

  • Your mom, she was out one day, and you were bawling your eyes out.

    Brightburn (2019)

  • Before she goes, though, she bawls her eyes out.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • And no, she didn't bawl her eyes out.

    Blog text (16)

  • He then started to get really upset and he about bawled his eyes out.

    Blog text (33)

  • That big, tough, rebellious teenager was bawling her eyes out.

    After Porn Ends (2012)

  • She was bawling her eyes out and apologizing for opening my admission letter.

    Blog text (29)

  • Potiphar runs in then with his guards, and she's bawling her eyes out and shaking like a leaf.

    Matewan (1987)

  • After receiving the bad news, she started to bawl her eyes out in the living room.

Synonyms

to weep
vsto bawl one's eyes out
208 1.1

To cry and let tears fall because you feel sad or have strong feelings

involves more intense, loud, and prolonged uncontrollable crying rather than calm tears
to bawl
vsto bawl one's eyes out
39 5.9

Cry or shout loudly and without control

focuses more on prolonged loud crying and loss of control
to burst into tears
vsto bawl one's eyes out
24 2.4

To suddenly cry because of a strong feeling

describes sudden starts while the key stresses long, loud continued crying
to sob
vsto bawl one's eyes out
15 1.0

To cry with short, noisy breaths

involves similar loudness but stresses longer, continuous uncontrollable crying
to blubber
vsto bawl one's eyes out
  • Informal
14 6.1

To cry loudly and without control, often while talking

is louder and focuses on extended uncontrolled crying without speech
to cry one's eyes out
vsto bawl one's eyes out
  • Informal
7 4.2

Cry for a long time because you feel very sad

is more about loud, long, and uncontrolled crying than only sadness
to blub
vsto bawl one's eyes out
  • UK
1 9.2

Cry in a noisy, gasping way

is louder and more prolonged rather than mainly snuffling and gasping
to baw
vsto bawl one's eyes out
  • UK
9.9

To cry loudly because you feel upset or hurt

emphasizes longer uncontrolled crying rather than brief distress
to cry like a pissbaby
vsto bawl one's eyes out
  • Offensive
9.9

To cry in a very childish way when upset

describes loud, prolonged crying but without the insulting, vulgar judgement

Antonyms

to laugh
∞ 1.0

To make sounds and move your face or body because something is funny

to smile
∞ 1.0

To turn the corners of your mouth up to show happiness or friendliness

How Intense

to bawl one's eyes out
  • Informal
3 7.6
wail
54 3.2
to sob
15 1.0
to cry
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

bawl one's eyes out infinitive
bawled one's eyes out past
bawled one's eyes out past participle
bawling one's eyes out present participle
bawls one's eyes out third person singular

Morphology

bawl + one + eye + out

The verb 'bawl' already means to cry or yell loudly, so a learner who knows the constituents would likely infer that the phrase refers to heavy crying. However, 'one's eyes out' is a hyperbolic, non-literal intensifier (you do not literally remove your eyes), so the full idiomatic force is metaphorical and not completely predictable without exposure.

Etymology

The idiom bawl one's eyes out comes from a strong picture: bawl means to cry loudly and eyes out makes you imagine tears pouring from the eyes. One popular story says people used this image to show someone crying so much it looked like their eyes were pouring out, so it now means 'to cry very loudly and for a long time'.