(used with a plural verb) a hypocritical show of sorrow; insincere tears.
2.
(used with a singular verb) Pathology. spontaneous tearing initiated by tasting or chewing food, occurring as a result of facial paralysis.
Origin
1555-65; so called from the the ancient belief that crocodiles shed tears while eating their victims
Examples from the web for crocodile tears
They play us for suckers and weep crocodile tears at our deaths as their stock values rise.
To these crocodile tears they will add sobs, fiery sighs, and sorrowful countenance.
Most bosses think that they were not consulted properly, if at all crocodile tears.
To ask for my forgiveness and shed his crocodile tears.
British Dictionary definitions for crocodile tears
crocodile tears
plural noun
1.
an insincere show of grief; false tears
Word Origin
from the belief that crocodiles wept over their prey to lure further victims
crocodile tears in Culture
crocodile tears definition
An insincere show of sympathy or sadness; crocodiles were once thought to “weep” large tears before they ate their victims: “Don't shed any crocodile tears for Fisher; I know you were responsible for his firing.”
Idioms and Phrases with crocodile tears
crocodile tears
An insincere display of grief, as in When the play's star broke her leg, her understudy wept crocodile tears. This term comes from the mistaken notion that crocodiles weep while eating their prey, one held in ancient Roman times. The actual term was picked up by Shakespeare and many other writers after him, and remains current. [ Late 1500s ]