sigh
Americanverb (used without object)
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to let out one's breath audibly, as from sorrow, weariness, or relief.
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to yearn or long; pine.
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to make a sound suggesting a sigh.
sighing wind.
verb (used with object)
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to express or utter with a sigh.
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to lament with sighing.
noun
verb
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(intr) to draw in and exhale audibly a deep breath as an expression of weariness, despair, relief, etc
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(intr) to make a sound resembling this
trees sighing in the wind
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to yearn, long, or pine
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(tr) to utter or express with sighing
noun
Usage
What does sigh mean? Sigh, an audible exhalation, conveys a broad range of emotions from sadness and disappointment to sarcasm and relief. People frequently write it out online to express such sentiments.
Other Word Forms
- outsigh verb (used with object)
- sigher noun
- unsighing adjective
Etymology
Origin of sigh
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English verb sighen, back formation from sihte “sighed,” past tense of Middle English siken, sichen “to sigh, moan,” Old English sīcan “to sigh, groan, long for”; noun derivative of the verb
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Staff at return counters, he says, sigh when they see him coming carrying dozens of boxes.
Still, state water managers breathed a sigh of relief about the marked improvement from the dry start to the month.
From Los Angeles Times
“Even if DSM-Firmenich’s remaining stake proves difficult to monetize, we suspect the market reaction will be to sigh with relief that the level of volatility associated with the business has been reduced,” he says.
They’re placed on hold and after five minutes, her client lets out a deep sigh.
From Los Angeles Times
Vazquez breathed a sigh of relief when the shoes turn out to be his size.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
