as in to gasp
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sigh
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
Lord John and Jamie halfway bury the hatchet, Claire sighs in annoyance, and Lord John bids Mrs. Fraser adieu.
—Lincee Ray, EW.com, 18 Jan. 2025
Michael Cuglietta, Orlando Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2025
Markets heaved a sigh of relief and made sharp turnarounds on the news.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sigh
Verb
The insistent insomniac, desperate for a chat, usually sighs, accepts the verdict, and slumps back into sleeplessness.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
Lord John and Jamie halfway bury the hatchet, Claire sighs in annoyance, and Lord John bids Mrs. Fraser adieu.
—Lincee Ray, EW.com, 18 Jan. 2025
Noun
Homeless advocacy groups in Central Florida breathed a heavy sigh of relief after the Trump administration on Wednesday rescinded its unprecedented order to freeze all federal grant funding.
—Michael Cuglietta, Orlando Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2025
Markets heaved a sigh of relief and made sharp turnarounds on the news.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sigh
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sigh
Verb
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Photo: Courtesy of AMPAS The Winners … Best Picture: The Last Emperor Best Actor: Michael Douglas, Wall Street Best Actress: Cher, Moonstruck Best Director: Bernardo Bertolucci, The Last Emperor Half of the fun of poring over class photos is gasping at the most famous face tucked into the lineup.—
Zach Schonfeld,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2025
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The audience gasped seeing a lion cub cowering inside.—
Michael Freeman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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And that whisper affected several subsequent batches.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
20 Feb. 2025
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Casualties of the layoff have turned to online whisper networks such as Blind to air their grievances.—
Brooke Erin Duffy,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Rather than obediently following instructions, the Labrador made his displeasure known in an unmistakably human-like manner—growling, whining and huffing in defiance while facing his owners.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
20 Feb. 2025
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And of course, Dennis Hopper, huffing nitrous oxide as rapist, gang leader Frank Booth is a vision of male bestiality ripped out of a Francis Bacon painting (Lynch has acknowledged Bacon as a key influence on his work).—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Her unfussy, unselfish industry regularly inspires murmurs of applause from the crowd during home matches at Walton Hall Park, an admiration for the simpler graces.—
Megan Feringa,
The Athletic,
21 Feb. 2025
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Murmurs can be harmless (known as innocent murmurs).—
Patty Weasler, RN, BSN,
Verywell Health,
13 Feb. 2025
Verb
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To date, Francis is breathing on his own and his heart function is said to be good.—
NICOLE WINFIELD,
arkansasonline.com,
20 Feb. 2025
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Desperate for a marquee event every year, the Champions Trophy was dusted off and shoehorned into a cricket calendar that is struggling to breathe.—
Tristan Lavalette,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Other symptoms, often reported by the bed partner, include snoring, choking, snorting, or gasping sounds.—
Soma Mandal,
Verywell Health,
4 Feb. 2025
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Whatever the reason, barbarians likely used the spoons either to snort powdered substances, or to measure out a quantity to place into drinks like beer, or into pipes to be smoked.—
Joshua Rapp Learn,
Discover Magazine,
30 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Copeland had recently retired from two decades of service in the Air Force, most of that time in canine units, running kennels and training dogs to sniff out narcotics and explosives, among other tasks.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
20 Feb. 2025
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That was backed up by a panel of experts sniffing the air and describing the quality, intensity and pleasantness of the smells, like mummy sommeliers.—
Michael Irving,
New Atlas,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
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None of these moans are intended to dismiss the importance of clever in-jokes and references to past adventures.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
17 Feb. 2025
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Tonally registering as if carved from a medium-hard piece of oak, his transparent deliveries — mellow whispers, conversational assertions, longing moans, resolute cries — served as effective vessels for those character sketches and autobiographical reflections.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Sigh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sigh. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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