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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sigh
Eldar Emric, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Twice thwarted, Beth sighs, says yes, and gets on with the business of living.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026
Adam Harrington, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Harris, in particular, looks agitated, and just before walking through the curtains to take her place on stage, lets out a heavy sigh.
—Kyler Alvord, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sigh
Verb
Dejan Furtula sighed with despair while looking at construction machines working around the clock to remove tons of trash clogging the Drina River near his hometown of Visegrad, in eastern Bosnia.
—Eldar Emric, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Twice thwarted, Beth sighs, says yes, and gets on with the business of living.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
News of the arrest came as a sigh of relief to Gershon.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Harris, in particular, looks agitated, and just before walking through the curtains to take her place on stage, lets out a heavy sigh.
—Kyler Alvord, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sigh
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sigh
Verb
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By that point, Illinois was already rolling, well on their way to a 101-65 victory that left USC gasping for air.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Three years ago, the other members of Team USA all but gasped at his promise.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The footage also shows an unknown male whisper into the suspect’s ear, a court affidavit explaining the charges said.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
17 Feb. 2026
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The recent whispers were inspired by a resurfaced Comic-Con clip in which Claffey's 11-year-old costar, Dexter Sol Ansell, appears to confirm that the former Superman actor will appear in season 2 of AKOTSK.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Now, the charges aren’t filed, but the president has been huffing and puffing and the Department of Justice has been subpoenaing Powell as if these actions were ready.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
18 Feb. 2026
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While a bunch of gatekeeping owners were huffing about clarity, the invisible architect kept building without drawing attention.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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People from that world tell me Youngblood spoke in a low, confidential murmur, flashed military tattoos, and dropped hints about tours in Afghanistan and secret government work.—
Matthew Bremner,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
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That was reflected on the ice for much of his first season, too, when the murmurs were many.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The currently incurable condition, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a progressive and fatal nerve disease that eventually leads to the loss of muscle control, including the patient's ability to breathe, per the Mayo Clinic.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Feb. 2026
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Seniors and children struggle to breathe.—
Yoca Arditi-Rocha,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In the field, Harry Truman’s Approval Rating whinnied and tossed its head, and Richard Nixon’s Approval Rating flopped on one side and emitted a horrible gurgle.—
Alexandra Petri,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
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The sound of the waves and the gurgle of cascading water radiate a monastic serenity; the spa has a fine selection of hot-stone and deep-tissue massages.—
Chandrahas Choudhury,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Mar. 2024
Verb
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Why an offensive line coach was caught snorting cocaine off his training camp desk.—
Greg Cote
January 26,
Miami Herald,
26 Jan. 2026
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The dialogue is as disarmingly earnest as that between two strangers snorting coke in a bathroom.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Read a book and sip tea in front of the central fireplace, swim between the indoor and outdoor sections of the glimmering pool, and soak your aching quads in the hot tubs under the evergreens and aspens while listening to the peaceful babble of Gore Creek.—
Sarah Kuta,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Feb. 2026
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Now the babble about them is back.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sigh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sigh. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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