flood of tears

USAGE SUMMARY

"flood of tears" is a correct and commonly used phrase in written English.
It refers to the act of crying excessively or uncontrollably. Example: "Upon hearing the tragic news, she burst into a flood of tears, unable to contain her grief."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

45 human-written examples

A flood of tears poured from his eyes.

The New Yorker

Soon after, Mr. Hussain appeared on television, mourning Mr. Farooq with a flood of tears.

The New York Times

On the way back to the fire, Jonah tripped, catapulting him into a flood of tears.

The New York Times - Magazine

Her apparent death by drowning leaves both suitors in a flood of tears.

The New Yorker

Q.  There's plenty of athletes that make this kind of announcement in a flood of tears.

The New York Times

The Age reported the story online under the headline "Drunk Paddy in $500k flood of tears".

The Guardian - Opinion

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

15 human-written examples

And floods of tears.

The Guardian

Eventually I left, in floods of tears.

The Guardian

Laurie burst into understandable floods of tears.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

"My eldest son — he has seen me in floods of tears many a time," she said.

The New York Times

"I was in floods of tears at times and talking about all sorts of issues.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "flood of tears", ensure the context clearly indicates a significant and often overwhelming emotional response. This phrase is most effective when conveying intense sadness, grief, or even joy.

Common error

Avoid using "flood of tears" to describe mild or moderate sadness. This phrase implies a strong, almost uncontrollable emotional release; using it inappropriately can diminish its impact and seem melodramatic.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "flood of tears" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the object of a verb or the complement of a preposition. It describes an intense emotional response characterized by copious crying, as evidenced by Ludwig AI.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

73%

Wiki

9%

Formal & Business

2%

Less common in

Science

4%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "flood of tears" is a common and grammatically correct way to describe intense crying. As Ludwig AI's analysis and Ludwig's examples show, it effectively conveys strong emotions, particularly sadness or grief. The expression is most frequently found in news and media contexts and maintains a generally neutral to slightly formal register. When using "flood of tears", ensure it aligns with the intensity of the situation to avoid exaggeration. Consider alternatives like "torrent of tears" or "wave of tears" for variety.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

deluge of tears

Synonym of flood, deluge indicates an overwhelming amount of tears.

tide of tears

Replaces "flood" with "tide", suggesting a gradual but powerful surge of tears.

wave of tears

Substitutes "flood" with "wave", emphasizing a sudden and overwhelming emotional release.

torrent of tears

Replaces "flood" with "torrent", highlighting the rapid and forceful outpouring of tears.

outburst of tears

Changes "flood" to "outburst", focusing on the sudden and uncontrolled nature of the crying.

gusher of tears

Uses "gusher" instead of "flood", picturing a copious and unrestrained flow of tears.

spate of tears

Replaces "flood" with "spate", indicating a large number of tears released in a short time.

stream of tears

Uses "stream" instead of "flood", depicting a continuous flow, less intense than a flood.

profusion of tears

The word profusion highlights the excessive amount of tears.

an outpouring of emotion

This alternative replaces the image of tears with the broader concept of emotional expression, suitable when the focus is on the emotion itself rather than solely on the crying.

FAQs

How can I use "flood of tears" in a sentence?

You can use "flood of tears" to describe someone crying intensely, like: "The movie's ending caused a "flood of tears" from the audience".

What's a less intense way to describe someone crying?

Instead of "flood of tears", you might say someone "shed a few tears" or "had tears in their eyes" to indicate a milder emotional response.

What can I say instead of "flood of tears"?

You can use alternatives like "torrent of tears", "wave of tears", or "outpouring of emotion" depending on the specific context.

Is "flood of tears" an overused expression?

While "flood of tears" is a common phrase, it's effective when used accurately to depict intense sorrow or emotion. Consider alternatives if you want a more subtle or unique description.