a shoulder to cry on
/ə ˌʃəʊldə tə ˈkraɪ ɒn/NEUTRAL · C2
Meaning
someone who listens to your problems and comforts you
Examples
- 1When I lost my job, my best friend was always there with a shoulder to cry on.
- 2Gran has been a shoulder to cry on for half the family over the years.
- 3After her break-up, Maria needed a shoulder to cry on, so she called her sister at midnight.
- 4Ben listened for hours and offered a shoulder to cry on when I failed my driving test.
- 5Do you have someone who can be a shoulder to cry on when things go wrong at work?
Grammar
A noun phrase, often after be, need or offer. cry stays in its base form and on comes last.
More idioms about relationships
All 20 idioms and the topic quiz →love at first sightan instant strong attraction the moment two people meetthrough thick and thinin good times and bad timeson the same wavelengthunderstanding each other easily because you think alikeplay hard to getto pretend to be less interested in someone than you area match made in heaventwo people who suit each other perfectlyblood is thicker than waterfamily ties matter more than other relationships
English Idioms400 idioms in 20 topics — with reviews that keep them from fading
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