Definition of sighnext
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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sigh

2 of 2

noun

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of sigh
Verb
In the series premiere of Netflix’s Vladimir, Rachel Weisz awakens from troubled sleep to a cascade of texts, sighs deeply, and addresses the camera with pleading eyes. Judy Berman, Time, 8 July 2026 Yet another review of EAR audio found that people who sighed frequently were not necessarily burdened by negative emotions. Shayla Love, New Yorker, 8 July 2026
Noun
Tuesday's report had many on the Street breathing a sigh of relief. Fred Imbert, CNBC, 14 July 2026 The tournament will go on without the USA (or the other two co-hosts, which all went out at the Round of 16 stage), and FIFA can breathe a slight sigh of relief. Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for sigh
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sigh
Verb
  • The defense struggled a bit in the first half with the reserves on the field even after producing a second-quarter interception, and the offense also gasped and wheezed with the reserves on the field.
    Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Police say Coffer was pulled to safety by his boat partner, who told police Simpson fled the scene and the boy was gasping for air.
    ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Moves for Anan Khalaili and Zavier Gozo are being finalised, and with both able to play right wing-back, there are whispers Daniel Munoz may be sold.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • That is, the ability to provide the benefits of modern speech interfaces without the need for users to speak audibly, even at a whisper.
    Greg Uyeno, IEEE Spectrum, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • This version is battery-powered, meaning no more huffing and puffing!
    Anja Webb, Parents, 24 June 2026
  • Meanwhile in Boston, England huffed and puffed but could not blow Ghana away.
    James Horncastle, New York Times, 24 June 2026
Noun
  • Even in hardboiled Hadestown, that would probably get a murmur of assent.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 25 July 2026
  • For weeks, there have been murmurs in DC about a coming White House move to address the inevitability of powerful, open-source Chinese AI models being used by people and businesses across the globe.
    Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 15 July 2026
Verb
  • Another big question, back on Earth, is what role dark oxygen may have played in the evolution of aerobes—living things that breathe oxygen, like us.
    James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The law bars police from using chokeholds or any form of physical restraint that can restrict a suspect’s ability to breathe.
    Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • There are mud pools from Yellowstone National Park that have a squeamish gurgle, and hearing them amid a crackling bonfire feels unexpectedly harmonious, even plausible.
    Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Her stomach made an audible gurgle.
    Douglas Stuart, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The former Oasis frontman told a particularly funny story about a flare up back in 1994, where a few fans of the band tried to snort his psoriasis.
    Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026
  • And that says nothing of its snort-like laughs, which reminded me too much of the huffs and puffs of the ride’s donkeys.
    Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Noun
  • Companies modelled after Mary Kay that have reprised empowerment babble for their founders’ gain are mentioned but receive scarce judgment.
    Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 15 July 2026
  • The film almost completely drops any and all scientific babble from the book in favor of character development, action sequences, and emotional gut punches.
    Matthew Razak, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sigh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sigh. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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