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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sigh
Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2025
Importantly, both of you need to commit to the pause, in a very literal sense; no talking and no gestures allowed — not even a sigh.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Hadley Hitson, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
All those combat rules are there to encourage players to not just sigh and roll to hit.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sigh
Verb
While summer may be drawing to a close (sigh), the polka dot trend is still holding strong.
—Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2025
Importantly, both of you need to commit to the pause, in a very literal sense; no talking and no gestures allowed — not even a sigh.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Noun
Scott Mitchell, general manager of Sensa Padel and longtime racquet sports pro, no longer sighs when groups approach his courts in Nashville's Germantown neighborhood with confusion.
—Hadley Hitson, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
All those combat rules are there to encourage players to not just sigh and roll to hit.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sigh
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sigh
Verb
-
Stunned spectators gasp and scream before people start running away.—
Jesse Bedayn,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Some exchanges were breathtaking — to them, certainly, and to spectators who gasped at the power during longer points.—
Howard Fendrich,
Mercury News,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The result was a ghostly, otherworldly sound that could shift from whispers to booming calls depending on the breath.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The results cast doubt on whether the plumes truly carry whispers of alien life, or merely echoes of lifeless chemistry on the frozen shell.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The hugs stop and the arguments, the phone obsession, and the huffing cold shoulder starts.—
Cyndy Etler,
Hartford Courant,
28 July 2025
-
Fellow porters huffing their way up a hillside; the stars twinkling above the desert sand; the layered waves of Caroline Polachek’s staggeringly beautiful title song cresting over the horizon at just the right moment.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
Mindy does have a heart murmur that will need to be kept an eye on with her future vet but that does not slow her down.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
5 Sep. 2025
-
There were murmurs in the organization about whether the pain in his knee was not the result of injury, but rather disinterest.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Left unsaid was what else his family was breathing.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Having breathed in the fresh air of the mountains, affirmed his love for his girlfriend, and taken in the beautiful view, Daniel all but forgets about his fight with his mother.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Don’t put out bird feeders, as bears can sniff out birdseed from more than a mile away.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Inside, his older brother, Tyson, 8, sniffs around near his toys, enjoying a rare moment of uninterrupted playtime.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Shot against the stunning backdrops of New Zealand, the campaign shows how even the smallest moments of a morning ritual — from the hiss of steam to the first swirl of crema — can embody calm and indulgence.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The Bose and the Sony earbuds introduce a layer of hiss to the audio, which detracts from how natural their transparency modes sound.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Most of these are held in a tent, from which loud, ecstatic moans can be heard for seemingly miles around.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
26 Aug. 2025
-
Out comes another moan, this one closer to a laugh as Brandon’s face flashes a smile.—
Scott Craven,
AZCentral.com,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sigh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sigh. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share