burst into tears
/bɜːst ˈɪntə tɪəz/
Meaning
This expression means to suddenly start crying heavily and emotionally. It is often used to describe sudden shifts in emotion, whether from sadness, relief, or overwhelming joy. The phrase is highly visual and common in both spoken English and literature.
Examples
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When she heard the good news, she burst into tears.
When she heard the good news, she burst into tears.
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The little boy burst into tears after dropping his ice cream.
The little boy burst into tears after dropping his ice cream.
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I almost burst into tears during that sad movie scene.
I almost burst into tears during that sad movie scene.
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She looked at the broken vase and burst into tears.
She looked at the broken vase and burst into tears.
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As soon as he saw his mother, he burst into tears.
As soon as he saw his mother, he burst into tears.
Common Mistakes
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✗ She burst in tears when she failed the test.
✓ She burst into tears when she failed the test.
The correct prepositional phrase is 'into tears', not 'in tears'.
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✗ He suddenly burst out tears.
✓ He suddenly burst out crying.
You can say 'burst out crying' or 'burst into tears', but combining them into 'burst out tears' is incorrect.
Related Expressions
Practice
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As soon as the movie ended, the entire audience seemed to ___.
💡 Suddenly start crying
Show answer
burst into tears
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She was holding it together, but she finally ___ when she got home.
💡 Lost control and started crying
Show answer
burst into tears