sigh

[ sahy ]

verb (used without object)

1. to let out one's breath audibly, as from sorrow, weariness, or relief.
2. to yearn or long; pine.
3. to make a sound suggesting a sigh:

   sighing wind.

verb (used with object)

1. to express or utter with a sigh.
2. to lament with sighing.

noun

1. the act or sound of sighing.

sigh

/ saɪ /

verb

1. intr to draw in and exhale audibly a deep breath as an expression of weariness, despair, relief, etc
2. intr to make a sound resembling this

   trees sighing in the wind

3. introften foll byfor to yearn, long, or pine
4. tr to utter or express with sighing

noun

1. the act or sound of sighing

Derived Forms

• ˈsigher, noun

Other Words From

• sigher noun
• outsigh verb (used with object)
• un·sighing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sigh¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English verb sighen, back formation from sihte “sighed,” past tense of Middle English siken, sichen “to sigh, moan,” Old English sīcan “to sigh, groan, long for”; noun derivative of the verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of sigh¹

Old English sīcan, of obscure origin

Example Sentences

I sigh with relief as it deftly turns and continues in the direction we have just come.

From BBC

As Trump was declared the projected winner in the swing state of North Carolina, a collective sigh filled the ballroom.

From BBC

This one came with a giant sigh of relief.

From Los Angeles Times

When Samantha told her supervisor what had happened, she said he just sighed and said: “Another one.”

From BBC

Nine minutes in at Emirates Stadium and there was a collective sigh of resignation for everyone who sold the midfielder as he scored Arsenal's opener.

From BBC

Related Words

• cry
• exhale
• gasp
• groan
• howl
• moan
• murmur
• sob
• whisper
• whistle

More About Sigh

What does sigh mean?

Sigh, an audible exhalation, conveys a broad range of emotions from sadness and disappointment to sarcasm and relief. People frequently write it out online to express such sentiments.

Where does sigh come from?

We’ve been sighing long before it was written down. It was first recorded around the 1300s as both a noun and a verb. In Middle English literature, we see many sighs in longing for love, for instance, or other worldly woes.

As online writing can’t always convey tone, typing out sigh became particularly useful and common as the internet took off in the 1990s–2000s. So much so, in fact, that in the 2000s, the mock French le sigh—with le a French article for “the”—became a humorous way to show frustration, weariness, or other emotions.

I have acquired a painful set of loneliness… Le sigh. pic.twitter.com/LWTopFBXz6

— Sarah Faye O'Connor (@SarahFOConnor) November 14, 2018

How is sigh used in real life?

In digital communication, people write out sigh in commentary on–or reaction to–various content. It is also used to mark the tone on a post or message.

Often, sigh written just as sigh after a remark or on its own. It may also be written as *sigh*, the asterisks acting like stage directions. Some even write le sigh for emphasis or irony.

All is restored! le sigh pic.twitter.com/JpY5SKuuQK

— Corlon Evans (@Corlon_Evans) November 12, 2018

Internet sigh’s are as versatile as real-life sighs, and they’ve migrated from social media to web article headlines. They can be issued in complaint, annoyance, disappointment, resignation, even wistful yearning.

Gosh she was pretty *sigh* ♥️ pic.twitter.com/MwwlheUKpr

— Ǥαβʀιεlα 🦎🐲 (@noir_or_never) October 20, 2018

Good Morning from the Golden Retriever Channel. M and the kids are up early. Let's get a little wet. One of the kids wants a ride on the Purple Submarine. It's going to be a long day *sigh*

(Nicholberrygoldens IG) pic.twitter.com/o0tEWoBMIb

— Golden Retriever Channel (@GoldretrieverUS) May 21, 2020

 

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.