sigh 1 of 2

as in to gasp
to take in and let out a deep audible breath or to make a similar sound Mom always used to sigh loudly whenever she found a mess on the floor—which was often a breeze sighed through the leaves

Synonyms & Similar Words

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sigh

2 of 2

noun

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of sigh
Verb
At one time, the vice president turned and seemingly sighed at something the two men were laughing about. Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 9 Jan. 2025 The insistent insomniac, desperate for a chat, usually sighs, accepts the verdict, and slumps back into sleeplessness. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
Noun
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 The contract should come as a big sigh of relief for new head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who is set to lead the team as a first-year head coach in 2025. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sigh
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sigh
Verb
  • Another level hems the player in with blocks of self-questioning text while the sound of someone gasping for air drones on in the background.
    Christopher Byrd, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Who doesn’t gasp with delight at a bicyclist doing cartwheels on a tightrope?
    Jesse Green, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Some earbuds claim to be noise-canceling but barely block out a whisper.
    Juhi Wadia, PCMAG, 17 Mar. 2025
  • There were also controlling parents and whispers of abuse throughout the industry.
    Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Or flesh—notice the tiny worker huffing up the steps in the top right.
    Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Adding in a motor has made cargo bikes much more workable for those riders who would like the convenience and capacity of a cargo bike but have hesitated in the past due to their own physical condition and the prospect of huffing a cargo bike up hills or across town.
    William Roberson, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Under the weight of the days, the sky murmurs, Broken dreams, whispering souls.
    Patricia Huon, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Philadelphia brought back Sirianni amid murmurs about his job status, and that conversation became more audible after the Eagles started the season 2-2.
    Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 23 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Somehow, amid all these disconnected threads, Sheridan can have a moment in his narrative that purely breathes, where nothing much happens except that most important of things: an exchange of ideas.
    Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Audio from a 911 call made from the house where four University of Idaho students were murdered in 2022 has been released to the public, revealing panic and confusion as callers realize one of their friends is no longer breathing.
    Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Odell orders Griff to prepare him a still-purple unicorn steak (the rarest of delicacies, in every sense), while ex-addict Shepard simply can’t resist snorting the powder obtained from grinding the coveted horn.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Third, something large was growling and snorting at me inside the lodge.
    Lizz Schumer, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Fey and Forte play a couple who have to sniff out which of their other married pals are on the brink of divorce across four vacations.
    Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2025
  • At two months old, he's splayed across her body, fast asleep, while other lambs walk over to sniff the lamb and human, as though wondering what's going on.
    William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • None of these moans are intended to dismiss the importance of clever in-jokes and references to past adventures.
    Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 Feb. 2025
  • Tonally registering as if carved from a medium-hard piece of oak, his transparent deliveries — mellow whispers, conversational assertions, longing moans, resolute cries — served as effective vessels for those character sketches and autobiographical reflections.
    Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sigh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sigh. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

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