50 Idioms for Grief With Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for Grief
1. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: To be upset about something that has already happened and can’t be changed.
In a Sentence: There’s no use crying over spilled milk; we just have to move on.
Other Ways to Say: Regret the past, dwell on mistakes.
2. Bury the hatchet
Meaning: To make peace or end a disagreement with someone.
In a Sentence: After their argument, Tim and Jack decided to bury the hatchet and move forward as friends.
Other Ways to Say: Make amends, reconcile differences.
3. Grin and bear it
Meaning: To endure pain or suffering without complaining.
In a Sentence: Despite the grief, she chose to grin and bear it during the ceremony.
Other Ways to Say: Tough it out, endure silently.
4. Keep a stiff upper lip
Meaning: To remain strong and composed in the face of adversity or grief.
In a Sentence: Even though he was heartbroken, Tom tried to keep a stiff upper lip for the sake of his family.
Other Ways to Say: Stay strong, maintain composure.
5. Down in the dumps
Meaning: Feeling very sad or depressed.
In a Sentence: She’s been down in the dumps since her pet passed away.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling blue, low in spirits.
6. Hit hard
Meaning: To be deeply affected by grief or loss.
In a Sentence: The news of her friend’s passing hit her hard.
Other Ways to Say: Devastated, deeply saddened.
7. Drown in sorrow
Meaning: To be overwhelmed with grief or sadness.
In a Sentence: After the breakup, he seemed to drown in sorrow.
Other Ways to Say: Lost in grief, overwhelmed by sadness.
8. Carry the weight of the world
Meaning: To feel overwhelmed by grief or responsibility.
In a Sentence: After the tragedy, she looked like she was carrying the weight of the world.
Other Ways to Say: Heavily burdened, emotionally drained.
9. Heart sinks
Meaning: To feel sudden sadness or disappointment.
In a Sentence: My heart sank when I heard the tragic news.
Other Ways to Say: Felt crushed, filled with sorrow.
10. Break down in tears
Meaning: To suddenly start crying from sadness or grief.
In a Sentence: She broke down in tears at the funeral.
Other Ways to Say: Weep uncontrollably, burst into tears.
11. Torn apart
Meaning: To feel emotionally shattered or broken.
In a Sentence: The death of her brother left her torn apart.
Other Ways to Say: Heartbroken, devastated.
12. In mourning
Meaning: Expressing sorrow after someone’s death.
In a Sentence: The entire community was in mourning after the tragic event.
Other Ways to Say: Grieving, bereaved.
13. Pain in the heart
Meaning: Emotional suffering or sorrow.
In a Sentence: She carried a pain in her heart long after he was gone.
Other Ways to Say: Deep sorrow, heartache.
14. Go through hell
Meaning: To experience great pain or grief.
In a Sentence: After the accident, the family went through hell.
Other Ways to Say: Suffer deeply, endure agony.
15. Break someone’s heart
Meaning: To cause intense emotional pain or sadness.
In a Sentence: The news of the accident broke her heart.
Other Ways to Say: Devastate, emotionally wound.
16. At a loss for words
Meaning: Unable to speak due to grief or shock.
In a Sentence: She was at a loss for words when she heard the sad news.
Other Ways to Say: Speechless, stunned.
17. Tearjerker
Meaning: Something that makes people cry due to emotional content.
In a Sentence: The film was a real tearjerker that reminded me of my loss.
Other Ways to Say: Heart-wrenching story, emotional trigger.
18. Feeling hollow
Meaning: Emotionally empty due to grief.
In a Sentence: After the funeral, she felt hollow inside.
Other Ways to Say: Emotionally numb, drained.
19. Cry one’s heart out
Meaning: To cry intensely due to sadness.
In a Sentence: She cried her heart out when she saw his picture.
Other Ways to Say: Sob uncontrollably, weep deeply.
20. Shattered dreams
Meaning: Hopes that have been destroyed due to loss.
In a Sentence: The accident left him with shattered dreams of becoming a pilot.
Other Ways to Say: Broken hopes, lost aspirations.
21. Gutted
Meaning: Extremely sad or disappointed.
In a Sentence: He was absolutely gutted after hearing about the tragedy.
Other Ways to Say: Crushed, devastated.
22. Close to tears
Meaning: Nearly crying.
In a Sentence: I was close to tears during the memorial service.
Other Ways to Say: On the verge of crying, teary-eyed.
23. Fall apart
Meaning: To lose emotional control due to grief.
In a Sentence: She fell apart when they told her the bad news.
Other Ways to Say: Break down, lose control.
24. Bottle up feelings
Meaning: To hide one’s grief or emotions.
In a Sentence: He bottled up his feelings after the loss of his dad.
Other Ways to Say: Suppress emotions, keep it inside.
25. Heavy heart
Meaning: A deep feeling of sadness or grief.
In a Sentence: She left the hospital with a heavy heart.
Other Ways to Say: Full of sorrow, deeply saddened.
26. Open old wounds
Meaning: To bring up past pain or trauma.
In a Sentence: Talking about the accident only opened old wounds for her.
Other Ways to Say: Revisit trauma, dig up the past.
27. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: To be upset about something that has already happened and cannot be changed.
In a Sentence: There’s no point crying over spilled milk; we need to move on.
Other Ways to Say: Don’t dwell on the past, let it go.
28. Walk through the fire
Meaning: To go through a very painful or difficult experience.
In a Sentence: She walked through the fire of grief after losing her husband.
Other Ways to Say: Endure pain, face hardship.
29. A heavy heart
Meaning: Feeling very sad or sorrowful.
In a Sentence: With a heavy heart, she said her final goodbye.
Other Ways to Say: Deep sorrow, deep sadness.
30. The weight of the world on one’s shoulders
Meaning: Feeling overwhelmed by problems or sorrow.
In a Sentence: After the tragedy, she felt like she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling burdened, emotionally overwhelmed.
31. Heart-wrenching
Meaning: Extremely sad or emotionally painful.
In a Sentence: Watching the funeral was a heart-wrenching experience.
Other Ways to Say: Devastating, emotionally painful.
32. Sink into despair
Meaning: To fall into deep sadness or hopelessness.
In a Sentence: After her loss, she began to sink into despair.
Other Ways to Say: Fall into depression, lose hope.
33. Cry one’s heart out
Meaning: To cry intensely due to sadness.
In a Sentence: She cried her heart out after hearing the news.
Other Ways to Say: Weep bitterly, sob uncontrollably.
34. In mourning
Meaning: Grieving for someone who has passed away.
In a Sentence: The whole family was in mourning after their grandmother’s passing.
Other Ways to Say: In grief, bereaved.
35. Brokenhearted
Meaning: Deeply sorrowful, usually due to loss or emotional pain.
In a Sentence: He was brokenhearted when his best friend passed away.
Other Ways to Say: Grief-stricken, crushed.
36. Grin and bear it
Meaning: To endure pain or sadness without complaint.
In a Sentence: She just had to grin and bear it after the sudden loss.
Other Ways to Say: Endure silently, put on a brave face.
37. A lump in one’s throat
Meaning: Feeling like you are about to cry.
In a Sentence: He had a lump in his throat while delivering the eulogy.
Other Ways to Say: On the verge of tears, choked with emotion.
38. Swallowed by grief
Meaning: Completely consumed by sadness.
In a Sentence: She was swallowed by grief after her son’s death.
Other Ways to Say: Drowned in sorrow, overwhelmed with grief.
39. Fall apart
Meaning: To become emotionally unstable due to pain.
In a Sentence: She completely fell apart after losing her pet.
Other Ways to Say: Break down, lose control.
40. Dead inside
Meaning: Feeling emotionally numb due to extreme sorrow.
In a Sentence: After the tragedy, he said he felt dead inside.
Other Ways to Say: Numb, empty, lifeless.
41. Grieve in silence
Meaning: To suffer quietly without sharing your feelings.
In a Sentence: He chose to grieve in silence, away from everyone.
Other Ways to Say: Mourn privately, internalize grief.
42. Heart sinks
Meaning: To feel sudden disappointment or sadness.
In a Sentence: Her heart sank when she saw the hospital report.
Other Ways to Say: Feel disheartened, be devastated.
43. Tears well up
Meaning: Tears start to form in one’s eyes due to emotion.
In a Sentence: Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered the good times.
Other Ways to Say: Eyes filled with tears, became emotional.
44. Carry a heavy burden
Meaning: To live with intense emotional pain.
In a Sentence: He carried a heavy burden after the loss of his friend.
Other Ways to Say: Live with sorrow, emotionally burdened.
45. World turned upside down
Meaning: A sudden, life-changing event causing distress.
In a Sentence: When she passed away, his world turned upside down.
Other Ways to Say: Life shattered, world changed forever.
46. Living in the past
Meaning: Not moving on from a painful memory.
In a Sentence: He’s been living in the past since the accident.
Other Ways to Say: Stuck in memories, can’t move on.
47. Too painful to speak of
Meaning: Emotionally difficult to even mention.
In a Sentence: What happened that night is too painful to speak of.
Other Ways to Say: Unspeakable, heartbreaking.
48. Tear one’s heart out
Meaning: To cause extreme emotional pain.
In a Sentence: The news of her passing tore his heart out.
Other Ways to Say: Heartbreaking, emotionally crushing.
49. Sorrow knows no bounds
Meaning: Feeling limitless grief.
In a Sentence: After the loss, her sorrow knew no bounds.
Other Ways to Say: Infinite sadness, bottomless grief.
50. Ride the waves of grief
Meaning: To experience fluctuating levels of sorrow.
In a Sentence: She’s still riding the waves of grief months after the loss.
Other Ways to Say: Go through stages of grief, emotional ups and downs.
