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
There was our grandmother’s porch at night, on the wood divan, beneath the mosquito net softly sighing, cicadas lighting up the village with their sound. Aysegül Savas, Literary Hub, 8 July 2025 The door now sighs a soft goodbye,As echoes fade and memories fly. Melonee Hurt, The Tennessean, 4 July 2025
Noun
General Manager Jeff Smith and marketing guru Gus Tejeda proved to be amiable and welcoming hosts on what must have been cause for a huge sigh of relief after so much advance planning – but the evening went down without a hitch and the food and drinks were simply stellar. David Weiss, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025 His brother, Erick Garcia, 20, said his mom and aunt had gone to cook more tamales in hopes of selling more throughout the day. Exhausted, Chris sat on a fold-out chair for a moment, letting out a sigh of relief and massaging his eyebrows with his fingers. Los Angeles Times, 5 July 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 14 Jul. 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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