Crying is something everyone understands, especially kids. Sometimes we cry because we are sad, hurt, scared, or even very happy. But in writing, simply saying “he cried” or “she was crying” can feel plain. This is where similes help. In simple terms, a simile compares one thing to another using “like” or “as.” It helps the reader clearly picture what is happening.
For example, instead of saying “The baby cried loudly,” you might say, “The baby cried like a siren.” That sentence feels stronger and easier to imagine. Similes make emotions more real and bring writing to life. They are very useful in creative writing for kids, stories, and simple essays.
In this article, let’s explore easy and fun similes for crying, understand their meanings, and see how to use them in sentences. By the end, you’ll also try some short practice questions to help you create your own similes with confidence.
20 Similes for Crying with Meanings and Examples
- Crying like a baby
Meaning: Crying a lot
Explanation: Shows strong emotions
Examples:
- He was crying like a baby after falling.
- She cried like a baby when she lost her toy.
- Crying like rain
Meaning: Tears falling nonstop
Explanation: Compares tears to rainfall
Examples:
- She cried like rain all night.
- His eyes were crying like rain.
- Crying like a broken fountain
Meaning: Crying continuously
Explanation: Shows endless tears
Examples:
- The child cried like a broken fountain.
- She cried like a broken fountain after the news.
- Crying like a wounded animal
Meaning: Crying in pain
Explanation: Shows hurt and fear
Examples:
- He cried like a wounded animal.
- The puppy cried like a wounded animal.
- Crying like thunder
Meaning: Very loud crying
Explanation: Shows noise and strength
Examples:
- The baby cried like thunder.
- He cried like thunder in anger.
- Crying like a lost child
Meaning: Crying with fear
Explanation: Shows sadness and confusion
Examples:
- She cried like a lost child.
- He cried like a lost child in the crowd.
- Crying like dripping water
Meaning: Soft, quiet crying
Explanation: Shows gentle sadness
Examples:
- She was crying like dripping water.
- He cried like dripping water in the dark.
- Crying like a storm
Meaning: Strong emotional crying
Explanation: Shows intense feelings
Examples:
- She cried like a storm after the call.
- He cried like a storm that night.
- Crying like melting ice
Meaning: Slow, silent tears
Explanation: Shows quiet sadness
Examples:
- Tears fell like melting ice.
- She cried like melting ice in silence.
- Crying like a sad song
Meaning: Emotional crying
Explanation: Compares crying to music
Examples:
- Her voice was crying like a sad song.
- He cried like a sad song playing softly.
- Crying like waves on rocks
Meaning: Repeated crying
Explanation: Shows emotional pressure
Examples:
- She cried like waves on rocks.
- His sobs came like waves on rocks.
- Crying like a heavy cloud
Meaning: Full of sadness
Explanation: Shows emotional weight
Examples:
- He cried like a heavy cloud.
- She felt like crying like a heavy cloud.
- Crying like a whistle
Meaning: High-pitched crying
Explanation: Shows sharp sound
Examples:
- The baby cried like a whistle.
- He cried like a whistle in fear.
- Crying like falling leaves
Meaning: Gentle and quiet crying
Explanation: Shows calm sadness
Examples:
- She cried like falling leaves.
- Tears fell like falling leaves.
- Crying like a broken toy
Meaning: Crying from disappointment
Explanation: Shows emotional hurt
Examples:
- He cried like a broken toy.
- She cried like a broken toy at home.
- Crying like a leaking tap
Meaning: Slow and steady crying
Explanation: Shows ongoing sadness
Examples:
- She cried like a leaking tap.
- He cried like a leaking tap all day.
- Crying like a lonely bird
Meaning: Sad and helpless crying
Explanation: Shows loneliness
Examples:
- She cried like a lonely bird.
- The child cried like a lonely bird.
- Crying like a dark cloud bursting
Meaning: Sudden strong crying
Explanation: Shows emotional release
Examples:
- He cried like a dark cloud bursting.
- She cried like a dark cloud bursting inside.
- Crying like a night wind
Meaning: Soft but sad crying
Explanation: Shows quiet emotion
Examples:
- She cried like the night wind.
- His crying sounded like a night wind.
- Crying like glass breaking inside
Meaning: Emotional pain
Explanation: Shows deep hurt
Examples:
- He felt like crying like glass breaking inside.
- She cried like glass breaking inside her heart.
Practical Exercise: Practice Similes
Questions
- Complete: Crying like a ___
- Identify the simile: “She cried like rain.”
- Fill in: Crying like a broken ___
- Choose the simile sentence
- Complete: Crying like melting ___
- What is compared in “crying like thunder”?
- Fill in: Crying like a leaking ___
- Identify the simile in the sentence
- Complete: Crying like a lonely ___
- Choose the sentence using “like” correctly
Answers with Explanations
- Baby – shows heavy crying
- Like rain – compares tears to rain
- Fountain – endless crying
- The sentence with “like”
- Ice – slow tears
- Loud crying
- Tap – steady crying
- Crying like rain
- Bird – loneliness
- The sentence using “like”
Conclusion
Similes for crying help turn feelings into pictures. They make writing emotional, clear, and interesting. Instead of plain sentences, similes allow readers to feel the sadness, pain, or emotion behind the tears.
For kids and beginners, similes are a great way to improve storytelling and express feelings better. Try using these similes in stories, schoolwork, or daily writing. With practice, you’ll soon

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