sighed; sighing; sighs
1
: to take a deep audible breath (as in weariness or relief)
2
: to make a sound like sighing
wind sighing in the branches
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
Synonyms
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
Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2024
Scenes like Jakob’s girlfriend Bella (Eva Feiler) and Halina sighing about love letters while hiding out in the woods, or Genek fondly mocking an absent Addy to roars of laughter from his siblings, add texture to the familial bond that’s so essential to these characters.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Mar. 2024
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
Joe Lynch, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024
As the jury foreman read the verdicts, sighs of relief could be heard by the victims' families.
—Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 15 Mar. 2024
Sitting down with someone who looks like you and understands your hair can feel like a huge sigh of relief.
—Annie Blay, Allure, 6 Mar. 2024
Over the March 1-3 weekend, Legendary and Warner Bros. breathed a well-deserved huge sigh of relief when Dune: Part Two opened to a notably better-than-expected $82.5 million domestically and $100 million overseas, for a global start of $182.5 million.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Mar. 2024
The decision was met with sighs and gasps by many of those gathered in the courthouse, which included student Darryl George’s supporters and natural-hair advocates.
—Char Adams, NBC News, 22 Feb. 2024
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
Verb
Each groaned, sighed and winced when asked about their choices for president this year.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2024
Scenes like Jakob’s girlfriend Bella (Eva Feiler) and Halina sighing about love letters while hiding out in the woods, or Genek fondly mocking an absent Addy to roars of laughter from his siblings, add texture to the familial bond that’s so essential to these characters.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Mar. 2024
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
Noun
When Prince released Musicology in 2004, it was hailed as a comeback — and greeted with a few sighs of relief.
—Joe Lynch, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024
As the jury foreman read the verdicts, sighs of relief could be heard by the victims' families.
—Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 15 Mar. 2024
Sitting down with someone who looks like you and understands your hair can feel like a huge sigh of relief.
—Annie Blay, Allure, 6 Mar. 2024
Over the March 1-3 weekend, Legendary and Warner Bros. breathed a well-deserved huge sigh of relief when Dune: Part Two opened to a notably better-than-expected $82.5 million domestically and $100 million overseas, for a global start of $182.5 million.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Mar. 2024
The decision was met with sighs and gasps by many of those gathered in the courthouse, which included student Darryl George’s supporters and natural-hair advocates.
—Char Adams, NBC News, 22 Feb. 2024
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
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.
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Dictionary Entries Near sigh
Cite this Entry
“Sigh.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sigh. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sigh
1 of 2 verb1
: 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 noun1
: 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
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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