sough

[ sou, suhf ]

/ saʊ, sʌf /

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verb (used without object)

to make a rushing, rustling, or murmuring sound: the wind soughing in the meadow.

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

noun

a sighing, rustling, or murmuring sound.

Scot. and North England.

a sigh or deep breath.
a whining, singsong manner of speaking.
a rumor; unconfirmed report.

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Origin of sough

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

OTHER WORDS FROM sough

sough·ful·ly, adverbsoughless, adjective

Words nearby sough

souchong, Soudan, souffle, Soufflot, Soufrière, sough, sought, sought-after, souk, soukous, soul

Other definitions for sough (2 of 2)

sough²

[ suhf, sou ]

/ sʌf, saʊ /

British

noun

drain; drainage ditch, gutter, or sewer.

a swampy or marshy area.

verb (used with object)

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

Also especially Scot., sugh

[sookh, soof, soo] /sux, suf, su/ .

Origin of sough

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

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

How to use sough in a sentence

A coil of smoke drifted across the room from somewhere above—the sough of the burning made the only background to his words.
The Onslaught from Rigel|Fletcher Pratt
The rain had stopped, and a sudden sough of the wind in the bushes sounded as if some animal had strayed there.
The Angel of Pain|E. F. Benson
Save the dull piping of insects and the sough of the leaves, there was silence everywhere—the sweet restful silence of nature.
The White Company|Arthur Conan Doyle
With abatement of breath I listened, but heard nothing except the mournful sough of the pines.
Tales of lonely trails|Zane Grey

An owl was hooting somewhere among the rocks, but no other sound, save the gentle sough of the wind, came to my ears.
The Last Galley|Arthur Conan Doyle

British Dictionary definitions for sough (1 of 2)

sough¹

/ (saʊ) /

verb

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

noun

a soft continuous murmuring sound

Word Origin for sough

Old English swōgan to resound; related to Gothic gaswogjan to groan, Lithuanian svageti to sound, Latin vāgīre to lament

British Dictionary definitions for sough (2 of 2)

sough²

/ (sʌf) /

noun

Northern English dialect a sewer or drain or an outlet channel

Word Origin for sough

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

sough

Origin of sough

OTHER WORDS FROM sough

Words nearby sough

Other definitions for sough (2 of 2)

Origin of sough

Words related to sough

How to use sough in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sough (1 of 2)

Word Origin for sough

British Dictionary definitions for sough (2 of 2)

Word Origin for sough