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
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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
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The powerful primate makes contact with the glass wall with a heavy thud, which leaves the group near the wall gasping and yelping in fear.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
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Reactions from the crowd can be heard in the background — with zoo visitors gasping.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Those sacs of air fill with fluid or pus, causing a cough with phlegm or pus, fever, chills and trouble breathing, according to the clinic.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
16 Oct. 2025
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Macron, who has faced unprecedented pressure and calls to resign, will also be breathing a small sigh of relief.—
Saskya Vandoorne,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Common signals include sniffing, circling, squatting, or whining.—
Madeline Gunderson,
USA Today,
19 Oct. 2025
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With help from a drug-sniffing dog and X-ray technology, CBP officers discovered packages hidden inside the car.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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The dog was panting and shifting from one foot to the other.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
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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 22 Oct. 2025.
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