sough

¹ American  

[sou, suhf] / saʊ, sʌf /

verb (used without object)

1. to make a rushing, rustling, or murmuring sound.

   the wind soughing in the meadow.

2. Scot. and North England. to speak, especially to preach, in a whining, singsong voice.

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noun

1. a sighing, rustling, or murmuring sound.

2. Scot. and North England.

   1. a sigh or deep breath.

   2. a whining, singsong manner of speaking.

   3. a rumor; unconfirmed report.

sough ² American  

[suhf, sou] / sʌf, saʊ /

especially Scot., sugh

noun

1. a drain, drainage ditch, gutter, or sewer.

2. a swampy or marshy area; slough.

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verb (used with object)

1. to drain (land or a mine) by building drainage ditches or the like.

sough ¹ British  

/ saʊ /

verb

1. (intr) (esp of the wind) to make a characteristic sighing sound

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noun

1. a soft continuous murmuring sound

sough ² British  

/ sʌf /

noun

1. dialect a sewer or drain or an outlet channel

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Other Word Forms

• soughfully adverb
• soughless adjective

Etymology

Origin of sough¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English verb swoughen “to throw,” Old English swōgan “to move with sound, make a noise”; cognate with Old Saxon swōgan, Old English swēgan “to move noisily,” Gothic -swōgjan; the noun is derivative of the verb

Origin of sough²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English sough, sou(e); further origin obscure; compare Dutch dialect zoeg “little ditch”

Explanation

To sough is to make a moaning or sighing sound. You might inadvertently sough when your math teacher announces another pop quiz. If you're sick, you may be tempted to lie in bed soughing and feeling sorry for yourself. Or if you're quiet, you might hear the wind sough through the trees outside. Either way, you can hear a soft, murmuring sound. Sough has an Old English root meaning "roar, howl, or whistle," and in 16th-century Scotland it was also used to mean "a vague rumor."

Example Sentences

Since the start of the pandemic, more street vendors have sough micro-loans and other assistance from his group, Espinoza said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2022

The administration could have sough a legal stay, said Brettny Hardy, a senior attorney with Earthjustice, and the Interior Department could also have offered a much smaller slice of the Gulf for lease.

From Washington Post • Nov. 22, 2021

In the suit, Wagoner sough a hefty chunk of Parton's income over the course of several years.

From Fox News • Jul. 30, 2021

Richardson will be a free agent and his big-play ability could make him highly sough.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 5, 2018

The assembly looked with him, considered the vast stretches of water, the high sea beyond, unknown indigo of infinite possibility, heard silently the sough and whisper from the reef.

From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding