sigh

1 of 2

verb

sighed; sighing; sighs

intransitive verb

1
: to take a deep audible breath (as in weariness or relief)
2
: to make a sound like sighing
wind sighing in the branches
3
: grieve, yearn
sighing for days gone by

transitive verb

1
: to express by sighs
2
archaic : to utter sighs over : mourn
sigher noun

sigh

2 of 2

noun

1
: an often involuntary act of sighing especially when expressing an emotion or feeling (such as weariness or relief)
2
: the sound of gently moving or escaping air
sighs of the summer breeze

Examples of sigh in a Sentence

Verb He sighed with relief when he saw that he passed the test. The wind sighed through the trees. “I may never see my old home again,” she sighed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Above them, burned forever in my memory, a sighing woman in white, legs bound, reclines on top of a pillar. Lisa Brown, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025 The flight attendant sighed, took a step back without leaving the scene, busied himself with brushing invisible crumbs off his uniform. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 17 Feb. 2025
Noun
And when the two were finally combined last year, with Saks Global absorbing its longtime competitor in a $2.7 billion deal, there was a tentative sigh of relief among the brands that sold their goods to Saks. Evan Clark, WWD, 13 Mar. 2025 Given the current state of the world (insert deep sigh), a song about our collective anxiety couldn’t have resurfaced at a more appropriate time. Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sigh

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English sihen, alteration of sichen, from Old English sīcan; akin to Middle Dutch versiken to sigh

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sigh was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sigh.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sigh. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

sigh

1 of 2 verb
1
: to take or let out a long loud breath (as in weariness or relief)
2
: to make a sound like sighing
wind sighing in the branches
3
: yearn sense 1
sighing for the good old days

sigh

2 of 2 noun
1
: an often involuntary act of sighing especially when expressing a feeling
2
: the sound of gently moving or escaping air
the sighs of a summer breeze

More from Merriam-Webster on sigh

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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