Dictionary

crocodile tear en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /ˈkɹɒ.kə.daɪl ˌtɪə(ɹ)/

Etymology

From the ancient belief that crocodiles shed tears while consuming their prey.

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) A tear shed insincerely, in a false display of sorrow or some other emotion.
   • At last he contrived to squeeze out one of his little hysterical tears, and drop it on her hand. Now, the girl was not butter, like some of her sex; far from it: but neither was she wood—indeed, she was not old enough for that—so this crocodile tear won her for the time being. 1877, Charles Reade, chapter 2, in A Woman-Hater:
2. (idiomatic, in-plural) A display of tears that is forced or false.
   • And in all her letters since, she had spoken of her aunt as a silly, vain, worldly woman, weeping crocodile tears, for an old husband whose death had released her from the tedium of his company. 1864, Anthony Trollope, chapter 19, in Can You Forgive Her?:

Forms

Relateds

artificial tear · hypocrisy · white women tears · insincerity · turn on the waterworks

Translations (115)

ta முதலைக்கண்ணீர் (display of tears that is forced or false) · de Krokodilsträne (tear shed falsely) · fi krokotiilinkyynel (tear shed falsely) · fa اشک تمساح (tear shed falsely) · mk крокодилски солзи (display of tears that is forced or false) · bn কুমিরের কান্না (display of tears that is forced or false) · ru крокоди́ловы слёзы (display of tears that is forced or false) · tr timsah gözyaşları (display of tears that is forced or false) · eo krokodilaj larmoj (display of tears that is forced or false) · af krokodiltrane (display of tears that is forced or false) · ga deoir bhréagach (tear shed falsely) · id air mata buaya (display of tears that is forced or false) · pl krokodyle łzy (display of tears that is forced or false) · ky крокодилдин көз жашы (display of tears that is forced or false) · cs krokodýlí slzy (display of tears that is forced or false) · cmn 鱷魚的眼淚 /鳄鱼的眼泪 (display of tears that is forced or false) · la lacrimula (tear shed falsely) · gl lágrimas de crocodilo (display of tears that is forced or false) · uz timsoh koʻz yoshlari (display of tears that is forced or false) · ta முதலைக்கண்ணீர் (tear shed falsely) · mi tangi kurī (display of tears that is forced or false) · ms air mata buaya (tear shed falsely) · gl lágrimas de crocodilo (tear shed falsely) · hu krokodilkönny (tear shed falsely) · ceb luha sa bao (tear shed falsely) · pt lágrima de crocodilo (tear shed falsely) · be кракадзілавы слёзы (display of tears that is forced or false) · mn матрын нулимс (display of tears that is forced or false) · hi घड़ियाली आँसू (display of tears that is forced or false) · rm larmas da crocodil (display of tears that is forced or false) · gl bágoas de crocodilo (display of tears that is forced or false) · eu krokodilo-malkoak (display of tears that is forced or false) · pt lágrimas de crocodilo (display of tears that is forced or false) · te మొసలికన్నీరు (display of tears that is forced or false) · ga deora bréige (display of tears that is forced or false) · ast llárimes de raposu (tear shed falsely) · th น้ำตาจระเข้ (display of tears that is forced or false) · it lacrime di coccodrillo (display of tears that is forced or false) · tl luha ng buwaya (display of tears that is forced or false) · fi krokotiilinkyyneleet (display of tears that is forced or false) · vi nước mắt cá sấu (tear shed falsely) · gd deòir nam breugan (display of tears that is forced or false) · gd deur nam breug (tear shed falsely) · az timsahın göz yaşları (display of tears that is forced or false) · cy deigryn crocodeil (tear shed falsely) · ar دُمُوع اَلتَّمَاسِيح (display of tears that is forced or false) · is krókódílstár (display of tears that is forced or false) · fr larmes de crocodile (display of tears that is forced or false) · gu ઢોંગનાં કે જૂઠાં આંસુ (display of tears that is forced or false) · ru крокоди́лова слеза́ (tear shed falsely) · kn ಮೊಸಳೆ ಕಣ್ಣೀರು (display of tears that is forced or false) · mr नक्राश्रू (display of tears that is forced or false) · as কুমিৰৰ চকুলো (display of tears that is forced or false) · ja 嘘泣き (display of tears that is forced or false) · hi नक्राश्रु (display of tears that is forced or false) · fa اشک تمساح (display of tears that is forced or false) · te మొసలి కన్నీళ్లు (display of tears that is forced or false) · ml മുതലക്കണ്ണീർ (tear shed falsely) · lv krokodila asaras (display of tears that is forced or false) · ko 악어의 눈물 (display of tears that is forced or false) · ga deoir bhréag (display of tears that is forced or false) · fo krokodillutár (tear shed falsely) · ta நீலிக்கண்ணீர் (tear shed falsely) · fo rossatár (tear shed falsely) · sq lotët e krokodilit (display of tears that is forced or false) · ta நீலிக்கண்ணீர் (display of tears that is forced or false) · es lágrimas de cocodrilo (display of tears that is forced or false) · da krokodilletåre (tear shed falsely) · ka ნიანგის ცრემლები (display of tears that is forced or false) · cmn 貓哭耗子假慈悲 /猫哭耗子假慈悲 (display of tears that is forced or false) · el κροκοδείλια δάκρυα (display of tears that is forced or false) · vi nước mắt cá sấu (display of tears that is forced or false) · hi मगरमच्छ के आँसू (display of tears that is forced or false) · cy dagrau crocodeil (display of tears that is forced or false) · cy wylofain crocodeil (display of tears that is forced or false) · da krokodilletårer (display of tears that is forced or false) · bg крокодилски сълзи (display of tears that is forced or false) · ja 空涙 (tear shed falsely) · lt krokodilo ašaros (display of tears that is forced or false) · am የአዞ እንባ (display of tears that is forced or false) · sv krokodiltårar (display of tears that is forced or false) · he דִּמְעוֹת תַּנִּין (display of tears that is forced or false) · ga deoir bhréag (tear shed falsely) · id air mata buaya (tear shed falsely) · de Krokodilstränen (display of tears that is forced or false) · mr मगरीचे अश्रू (display of tears that is forced or false) · fr larmes de crocodile (tear shed falsely) · sv krokodiltår (tear shed falsely) · hy կոկորդիլոսի արցունքներ (display of tears that is forced or false) · cmn 鱷魚的眼淚 /鳄鱼的眼泪 (tear shed falsely) · uk крокодиля́чі сльо́зи (display of tears that is forced or false) · ms air mata buaya (display of tears that is forced or false) · gl bágoas de crocodilo (tear shed falsely) · no krokodilletårer (display of tears that is forced or false) · is uppgerðarhryggð (display of tears that is forced or false) · cs krokodýlí slza (tear shed falsely) · is hræsnistár (display of tears that is forced or false) · km ទឹកភ្នែកក្រពើ (display of tears that is forced or false) · es lágrimas de cocodrilo (tear shed falsely) · cmn 假慈悲 (display of tears that is forced or false) · ht dlo nan je kwokodil (display of tears that is forced or false) · sk krokodília slza (tear shed falsely) · hi घड़ियाल के आँसू (display of tears that is forced or false) · tl luha ng buwaya (tear shed falsely) · gu કૃત્રિમ આશ્વાસન (display of tears that is forced or false) · my မိကျောင်းမျက်ရည် (display of tears that is forced or false) · th น้ำตาจระเข้ (tear shed falsely) · ca llàgrima de cocodril (tear shed falsely) · ca llàgrimes de cocodril (display of tears that is forced or false) · ml മുതലക്കണ്ണീർ (display of tears that is forced or false) · cmn 貓哭耗子 /猫哭耗子 (display of tears that is forced or false) · ga deoir bhréagach (display of tears that is forced or false) · hu krokodilkönnyek (display of tears that is forced or false) · nl krokodillentranen (display of tears that is forced or false) · et krokodillipisarad (display of tears that is forced or false)