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
Verb
Leslie sighed, then looked up at the moon, which was full. Jared Lemus, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2024 After the umpteenth attempt, with his mother smiling nearby, Cancela sighed after securing a passable knot. Billy Witz, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Priyamani is a top government official in the film and her pauses, sighs and stares are all full of meaning. Sweta Kaushal, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences president Janet Yang delved into her remarks and mentioned that the Oscars, which will be held on Sunday, March 10, would start an hour earlier this year, at 7 p.m. E.T., causing the actors and actresses to laugh and sigh with relief. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 13 Feb. 2024 Alice and Jack sigh late in the series, giddy at the spectacle of their own suffering. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Mar. 2024 The audience sniffled and sighed, accompanying them. Jimena Tavel, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2024 The teaser imagined the producer walking in on Maitlis doing her makeup, and the anchor deeply sighed. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2024 And yet the public consensus seems to be … sigh … 🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨 https://t.co/9WxUlccDEKJanuary 22, 2024 See more Some, like playwright Michael R. Jackson, bemoaned the film's stripping the book of its teeth. Scott Hocker, theweek, 31 Jan. 2024
Noun
The Family Switch star then continued her task while sitting on an armchair before taking off her outer sweatshirt and letting out a sigh. Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024 There was a thudding of feet on the stairs and a long sigh as someone came down. Thomas Korsgaard, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024 Doctors clear Winn Melvin let out a sigh of relief, literally, when asked about Keaton Winn. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2024 Family and supporters of the victims reacted solemnly, some with quiet tears and others with sighs of relief. Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2024 But — sigh of relief for all Danielle fans — the astronaut is seen a few minutes later arriving back on Earth alive and well, though still recovering from her injuries. Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 12 Jan. 2024 Halpin took a sigh of relief and got ready for lights, camera, Vegas. Bryan West, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024 The new one retains his debut’s easygoing preciousness: the deadpan sense of humor, a coolly observant interest in the divide between city and country, and the sighs Dorji wants to elicit from the Himalayan landscape. Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2024 But there was still a sigh of relief when the Florida Panthers captain’s wrist shot got past a sprawling Alexandar Georgiev midway through the third period of Florida’s 4-0 shutout win over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sigh.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near sigh

Cite this Entry

“Sigh.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sigh. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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

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