sigh
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: sī
ipa: /saɪ/
rhymes: -aɪ
homophone: sie
homophone: sai
homophone: psi
homophone: xi
homophone: scye
homophone: Si
homophone: Sy
homophone: Cy
Forms: form: sighs
form: sighing
form: sighed
form: sighed
form: no-table-tags
form: glossary
form: sigh
form: sigh
form: sighed
form: sigh
form: sighest
form: sighed
form: sighedst
form: sighs
form: sigheth
form: sighed
form: sigh
form: sighed
form: sigh
form: sighed
form: sigh
form: -
form: sighing
form: sighed
Etymology: From Middle English sighen (“to sigh”), back-formation from sighte, past tense form of siken, from Old English sīcan, from Proto-West Germanic *sīkan, perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *seykʷ- (“to pour out”).
Senses: examples: text: When she saw it wasn't damaged, she sighed with relief.
text: He sighed. It was going to be a long night.
text: He sighed over the lost opportunity.
text: A waiter brought his aperitif, which was a small scotch and soda, and as he sipped it gratefully he sighed.
 ‘Civilized,’ he said to Mr. Campion. ‘Humanizing.’ […] ‘Cigars and summer days and women in big hats with swansdown face-powder, that's what it reminds me of.’
ref: 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 5, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
synonyms: word: sithe
glosses: 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.
examples: text: He sighed deeply in his spirit.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Mark 8:12:
synonyms: word: sithe
word: yearn
word: aggrieve
word: besorrow
word: condole
word: engrieve
word: erme
word: gloom
word: grieve
word: grieven
word: bleed
word: lament
word: moan
word: mourn
word: regret
word: rue
word: sigh
word: sorrow
word: wayment
word: yearn
glosses: To lament; to grieve.
examples: text: Ages to come, and men unborn, / Shall bless her name, and sigh her fate.
ref: 1695, Matthew Prior, An ode presented to the king, on His Majesty's arrival in Holland, after the Queen's death:
text: The lassie had grace given her to refuse, but with a woeful heart, and Heriotside rode off in black discontent, leaving poor Ailie to sigh her love. He came back the next day and the next, but aye he got the same answer.
ref: 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:
synonyms: word: grieve
word: lament
word: sithe
word: begrieve
word: bemoan
word: bewail
word: beweep
word: condole
word: deplore
word: grieve
word: grieven
word: keen
word: lament
word: mean
word: mourn
word: pine
word: sigh
word: sorrow
word: wail
word: wayment
glosses: To utter sighs over; to lament or mourn over.
examples: text: And the coming wind did roar more loud, / And the sails did sigh like sedge.
ref: 1797–1798 (date written), [Samuel Taylor Coleridge], “The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere”, in Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems, London: […] J[ohn] & A[rthur] Arch, […], published 1798, →OCLC:
text: The winter winds are wearily sighing.
ref: 1832 December (indicated as 1833), Alfred Tennyson, “The Death of the Old Year”, in Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:
synonyms: word: sithe
glosses: To make a sound like sighing.
examples: text: She sighed a sigh that was nearly a groan.
text: sigh a note and sing a note
text: Never man sighed truer breath.
ref: c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene v]:
synonyms: word: sithe
glosses: To exhale (the breath) in sighs.
examples: text: "I guess I have no choice," she sighed.
text: She sighed her frustrations.
text: They […] sighed forth proverbs.
ref: c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
text: The gentle swain […] sighs back her grief.
ref: 1763, Torquato Tasso, translated by John Hoole, Jerusalem Delivered:
synonyms: word: sithe
glosses: To express by sighs; to utter in or with sighs.