SIGH

sigh, suspiration

(noun) an utterance made by exhaling audibly

sigh

(noun) a sound like a person sighing; “she heard the sigh of the wind in the trees”

sigh, suspire

(verb) heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily; “She sighed sadly”

sigh

(verb) utter with a sigh

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

sigh (third-person singular simple present sighs, present participle sighing, simple past and past participle sighed)

(intransitive) To inhale a larger quantity of air than usual, and immediately expel it; to make a deep single audible respiration, especially as the result or involuntary expression of fatigue, exhaustion, grief, sorrow, frustration, or the like.

(intransitive) To lament; to grieve.

(intransitive, transitive) To utter sighs over; to lament or mourn over.

(intransitive) To experience an emotion associated with sighing.

(intransitive) To make a sound like sighing.

(transitive) To exhale (the breath) in sighs.

(transitive) To express by sighs; to utter in or with sighs.

Synonyms

• (all): sithe (obsolete)

Noun

sigh (plural sighs)

A deep, prolonged audible inhale and exhale of breath; as when fatigued, frustrated, grieved, or relieved; the act of sighing.

Figuratively, a manifestation of grief; a lament.

(Cockney rhyming slang) A person who is bored.

Interjection

sigh

An expression of fatigue, exhaustion, grief, sorrow, frustration, or the like, often used in casual written contexts.

Anagrams

• Gish, gish

Source: Wiktionary


Sigh, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sighed; p. pr. & vb. n. Sighing.] Etym: [OE. sighen, si; cf. also OE. siken, AS. sican, and OE. sighten, si, sichten, AS. siccettan; all, perhaps, of imitative origin.]

1. To inhale a larger quantity of air than usual, and immediately expel it; to make a deep single audible respiration, especially as the result or involuntary expression of fatigue, exhaustion, grief, sorrow, or the like.

2. Hence, to lament; to grieve. He sighed deeply in his spirit. Mark viii. 12.

3. To make a sound like sighing. And the coming wind did roar more loud, And the sails did sigh like sedge. Coleridge. The winter winds are wearily sighing. Tennyson.

Note: An extraordinary pronunciation of this word as sith is still heard in England and among the illiterate in the United States.

Sigh, v. t.

1. To exhale (the breath) in sighs. Never man sighed truer breath. Shak.

2. To utter sighs over; to lament or mourn over. Ages to come, and men unborn, Shall bless her name, and sigh her fate. Pior.

3. To express by sighs; to utter in or with sighs. They . . . sighed forth proverbs. Shak. The gentle swain . . . sighs back her grief. Hoole.

Sigh, n. Etym: [OE. sigh; cf. OE. sik. See Sigh, v. i.]

1. A deep and prolonged audible inspiration or respiration of air, as when fatigued or grieved; the act of sighing. I could drive the boat with my sighs. Shak.

2. Figuratively, a manifestation of grief; a lan With their sighs the air Frequenting, sent from hearts contrite. Milton.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

29 May 2025

CRITICAL

(adjective) characterized by careful evaluation and judgment; “a critical reading”; “a critical dissertation”; “a critical analysis of Melville’s writings”


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Coffee Trivia

According to WorldAtlas, Canada is the only non-European country to make its top ten list of coffee consumers. The United States at a distant 25 on the list.

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