as in gasping
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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Recent Examples of sighing
But the people in these plays aren’t sighing and slumping.
—
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
And while many might be reluctant to close the time capsule door on their beloved skinnies, some of us are sighing with relief that the current denim trend is comfy enough for travel.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2026
But the film belongs to Farmer, Jacobs’ own grandmother, who gives Hettie an unfussy sturdiness of mien and spirit to counter the growing, sighing frailty of her person, and a steady, narrow stare that occasionally seems to see through time.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
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
The song’s gentle reggaetón shuffle is augmented by some lovely harp plucking, and backing vocals that seem to be sighing in agreement.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2025
Cali gave her friend a look before sighing and pulling off I-10.
—Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
And while many might be reluctant to close the time capsule door on their beloved skinnies, some of us are sighing with relief that the current denim trend is comfy enough for travel.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2026
But the film belongs to Farmer, Jacobs’ own grandmother, who gives Hettie an unfussy sturdiness of mien and spirit to counter the growing, sighing frailty of her person, and a steady, narrow stare that occasionally seems to see through time.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
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
The song’s gentle reggaetón shuffle is augmented by some lovely harp plucking, and backing vocals that seem to be sighing in agreement.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2025
Cali gave her friend a look before sighing and pulling off I-10.
—Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sighing
Verb
-
Slayyyter shimmies onto the beat like an amoral John Waters heroine, cruising over the choppy momentum while recounting a toxic love affair in gasping Fred Schneider intonation.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Olivia Miles makes the types of nifty passes that can leave fans gasping in astonishment.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Sleep Problem Most Couples Never Talk About The ResMed 2026 Global Sleep Survey of 30,000 people across 13 markets found that 80% of those in relationships report disrupted sleep due to their partner, with snoring or loud breathing the most common cause at 36%.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
3 Apr. 2026
-
For the non-Nintendo among us, Bowser is Mario’s enemy, a fire-breathing monster and leader of the Koops.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
So does Soderbergh’s camera, which begins sniffing and roving about the space like a dog unleashed.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
At one of these gatherings trouble broke out over girls, glue-sniffing, and hassles caused by confusion over membership in the various branches of the organization.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Washington’s Copium But the White House is huffing its own brand of copium.—
Newsweek Editors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Audio from the Tread is more than loud enough even when huffing, puffing, and sprinting through a challenging interval.—
Craig Rawlins-Wilson,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Eyes wide, panting near panic, Foster perfectly captures the audience's own fear of being alone in the dark with a monster.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
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User @briadeshaun took a more relatable route and impersonated an out-of-shape owl, worn out from flying and repeatedly panting to catch its breath.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sighing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sighing. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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