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
Relevance
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 sighing
Cali gave her friend a look before sighing and pulling off I-10.
—
Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
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, 3 Sep. 2025
Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
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, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sighing
Verb
-
When the audio came back on during the broadcast, the audience could be heard gasping — while cohost Alyssa Farah Griffin raised her hands to her face in shock, and Sunny Hostin pursed her lips.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Ally repeatedly asked while gasping as about a dozen of her friends chuckled nearby.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But Lakdawala says the conditions on farms with infected cattle are clearly a risk for workers who are essentially breathing in H5N1 particles that are aerosolized and remain infectious.—
NPR,
NPR,
6 Nov. 2025
-
But after a period of terror, the big defense contractors are breathing a cautious sigh of relief.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
As soon as Rusty came into the park, the two friends went about their day, sniffing the ground and following each other around.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Common signals include sniffing, circling, squatting, or whining.—
Madeline Gunderson,
USA Today,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Through Blazy’s gaze, what looks outlandish is often revealed to be truer to itself than, for instance, the nearby tourist restaurants with candles burning down over beef bourguignon and accordions huffing in the corner.—
Nathan Heller,
Vogue,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The dog was panting and shifting from one foot to the other.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Howard’s best comedies have a light, almost effortless touch, but this one is panting and gasping essentially from the opening frames.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sighing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sighing. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share