sigh

[ sahy ]

/ saɪ /

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See synonyms for: sigh / sighed on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to let out one's breath audibly, as from sorrow, weariness, or relief.

to yearn or long; pine.

to make a sound suggesting a sigh: sighing wind.

verb (used with object)

to express or utter with a sigh.

to lament with sighing.

noun

the act or sound of sighing.

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Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM sigh

sigher, nounoutsigh, verb (used with object)un·sigh·ing, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH sigh

1. side, sighed 2. sighs , size

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sigh in a sentence

Workers at a Kroger-owned supermarket near Seattle breathed a sigh of relief last fall when they learned a coronavirus vaccine was around the corner.
Grocery workers say they can’t get vaccines, even as they help distribute them|Abha Bhattarai|February 18, 2021|Washington Post
Now, with her marriage falling apart and her teen daughter throwing a tantrum every time Kate so much as sighs, she’s searching for work to give her life meeting.
Netflix's Undeniably Cheesy Gal-Pal Drama Firefly Lane Pairs Well With a Glass of Wine|Judy Berman|February 3, 2021|Time
Then, that signature sighing smile that said, "This will be bad."
Tony Lewis, American, Jew, Remembered|Bernard Avishai|October 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Someone kept sighing and gasping and giggling in the screening I was at.
Emilia Wickstead and Manolo Blahnik: #LFW Day 3|Tom Sykes|September 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST

They listened with audible outrage, sighing and groaning in disbelief.
The Chutzpah of Radovan Karadzic|The Telegraph|October 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST
That sound you just heard was a million women sighing in despair.
Weeds’s Hunter Parrish: The Final Seasons and Those Shirtless Scenes|Itay Hod|July 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The mayor sat back heavily, the plush cushion behind him sighing deeply.
The Way the Wind Blows|Scott Simon|December 21, 2008|DAILY BEAST
He did not caress it; she once heard him sighing over it; and he never announced it in the newspapers.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
The wind that was sighing in the trees was whirling the dead leaves about in little eddies as they floated to earth.
Marguerite|Anatole France
The rain had almost ceased, the world was gray and sad, the exhausted storm was sighing and sobbing itself to rest.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Complete|Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
"I was but sighing as I thought of my many sins, Cid," answered the fellow, very dutifully.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis
So by wood and mere and sighing reed we pass with many a twist and turn until we reach the hostelry of Horning Ferry.
Yachting Vol. 2|Various.

British Dictionary definitions for sigh

sigh

/ (saɪ) /

verb

(intr) to draw in and exhale audibly a deep breath as an expression of weariness, despair, relief, etc

(intr) to make a sound resembling thistrees sighing in the wind

(intr often foll by for) to yearn, long, or pine

(tr) to utter or express with sighing

noun

the act or sound of sighing

Derived forms of sigh

sigher, noun

Word Origin for sigh

Old English sīcan, of obscure origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

sigh

Origin of sigh

OTHER WORDS FROM sigh

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH sigh

Words related to sigh

How to use sigh in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sigh

Derived forms of sigh

Word Origin for sigh