idiom · informal
a shoulder to cry on
UK/ə ˈʃəʊldə tuː kraɪ ɒn/US/ə ˈʃoʊldər tuː kraɪ ɑn/a SHOUL·der to cry ON
Someone who listens and gives comfort when you are upset.
Examples
“After the breakup she needed a shoulder to cry on, so her sister stayed with her all night.”
“He was grateful to have a close friend who was a shoulder to cry on during difficult times.”
“Sometimes you don't want advice, you just need a shoulder to cry on.”
Band 8 sentence
“When life gets stressful I don't always want solutions; sometimes I just need a shoulder to cry on.”
Collocations
- be a shoulder to cry on
- need a shoulder to cry on
Word family
Common mistakes
a shoulder for crying→a shoulder to cry on
vai để khóc→người để nương tựa tinh thần
Say it for a higher band
5talk to someone→6someone to lean on→7+a shoulder to cry on
Synonyms
someone to lean on
Easily confused
someone to talk to
“After the funeral, she just wanted someone to talk to.”
Related words
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In Relationships
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