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
Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 20 Dec. 2025
Naroditsky sighed, looking skeptical.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 18 Dec. 2025
Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2026
Today, the Knicks can exhale a sigh of relief.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sigh
Verb
Suddenly, Jeff Parker plucks a sighing six-note guitar run, dropping his shoulders into a solo section that carries the tune to its swooning conclusion.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 20 Dec. 2025
Naroditsky sighed, looking skeptical.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 18 Dec. 2025
Noun
At the same time, America bore nearly all of the cost of the island’s defense, to Denmark’s great sigh of relief.
—Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2026
Today, the Knicks can exhale a sigh of relief.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sigh
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sigh
Verb
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Then came another jab, and the hairpiece bounced up as if Miller’s scalp was the bottom of a gasping clam.—
Matt Moret,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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There was the lob from Ayton that James threw down left-handed, making teammates leap off their seats and fans gasp and cheer.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As whisper listings become more common, discretion has turned into a form of value.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The role Landfair’s family members, including Sparkle, played in fostering her relationship with Kelly, even as whispers of their relationship became screams, is difficult to reckon with.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Or have all of his brain cells corroded away after years of huffing his own scent?—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
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His longest breath hold without huffing O₂ is, unofficially, 10:17, which would place him fourth behind Serbian diver Branko Petrovic’s current world record of 11:54.—
Sean Williams,
Outside,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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When Kuminga removed his sweats, walked to the scorer’s table and checked in to begin the second quarter Tuesday night, a murmur grew into a modest standing ovation as the fans inside Chase Center realized what was happening.—
Evan Webeck,
Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2026
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Outside, the marinas become villages — food stalls, shaded lounges, the steady murmur of deals being courted.—
Eric Barton,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The inspector located two opaque brown sacks, each with an unconscious but still breathing bird, in Martinez’s pants, according to court documents.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Air quality varies based on the type of pollutants in the cycle and can have dramatic ramifications for those breathing nearby.—
Josh Kelly,
Oklahoman,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
-
The dialogue is as disarmingly earnest as that between two strangers snorting coke in a bathroom.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Jan. 2026
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Other episodes of the series will follow a bodybuilder obsessed with having a bulky physique, a woman who blends and snorts all her food, individuals addicted to eating grass, makeup and cardboard, and even a veteran with PTSD who filled his home with more than a hundred snakes.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
17 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Now the babble about them is back.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Mesopotamian corpses, stirred by the babble of trade, wander the halls wrapped in shrouds of extravagant malice.—
David Velasco,
Harpers Magazine,
18 Dec. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Sigh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sigh. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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