sighed

past tense of sigh
as in huffed
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 sighed With that, the Australian reporters sighed and smiled and the underdog-loving fans here likely will as well. — Vic Tafur, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 But Taylor eventually sighed and launched into an answer on his own. — Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026 Yet another review of EAR audio found that people who sighed frequently were not necessarily burdened by negative emotions. — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 8 July 2026 Rabbi Eli Schlanger leaned back in his chair, sighed and grinned like a kid. — John Blake, CNN Money, 5 July 2026 Pino’s supporters sighed and sniffled when the verdict was announced. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 June 2026 Sapphire sighed and kicked the covers down around our feet. — Literary Hub, 22 June 2026 Seeing her dad’s handwriting, Lally sighed. — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026 Johnson sighed and rubbed a hand over her head in relief. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sighed
Verb
  • Meanwhile in Boston, England huffed and puffed but could not blow Ghana away.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 24 June 2026
  • On one of the machines a Cluely employee panted and huffed in the dark.
    — Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Kiju looked at me, took my hand, and walked around the woman and out into the night air as those inside gasped and moved to help the vile woman.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Some of the more than 100 in attendance in the council chambers gasped or laughed when the town revealed that the fines have only amounted to $1,600 so far.
    — Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The pump, which started to fade back in May, had finally breathed its last breathe.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Tammy Patrick of The Election Center, which has nearly 2,500 election officials as members, said those who run voting offices breathed a collective sigh of relief at the high court's decision on mail voting Monday night.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In the late 1950s, Johnny and Vivian Cash, his first wife, along with their three daughters, moved from Memphis, Tennessee to California as the fabled singer sniffed out a potential career in Hollywood, like his contemporary Elvis Presley.
    — David G. Allan, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
  • When The Associated Press visited Sunday, Tigrino cautiously emerged from his shelter, sniffed the air and paced around for a few minutes before slipping back into the foliage.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sighed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sighed. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!