Thesaurus results for SIGHING

sighing

verb

present participle of sigh

as in gasping

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

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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 sighing By the 11th game of the third set, Keys was hitting herself in the head with her racket, taking her cap off and sighing deep breaths that were either meant to steady her or out of exasperation. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026 The soundtrack—by the frequent Hans Zimmer collaborator David Fleming—is a delight, a polyphonic mood board of ghost-clangs, spooky bassoons, lyrical electro-motifs, and sighing sea themes. — James Parker, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026 The internet may be full of people who want to outlaw leaf blowers, but misophonic triggers tend to share a bodily quality, an aurally traceable culprit such as a person crunching or sighing. — Sloane Crosley, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 Also, remember that the avatar is reading your body language, eye contact, any kind of sighing or moaning. — Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2026 Watch On As every streaming platform inevitably becomes like linear TV and offers up more commercials than common sense, we're left sighing at the 360 that society has taken. — Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 3 June 2026 There are nearly two hundred people standing there, looking around and sighing. — Literary Hub, 27 May 2026 But the people in these plays aren’t sighing and slumping. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026 And while many might be reluctant to close the time capsule door on their beloved skinnies, some of us are sighing with relief that the current denim trend is comfy enough for travel. — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sighing

Verb

Eventually the curtain was closed again and the microphone in the room was turned off, but Pike could still be heard making gasping or snoring sounds.

— Rebecca Boone, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Common symptoms of sleep apnea include loud snoring, gasping for air during the night, and waking up feeling tired.

— Lindsay Curtis, HEALTH, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of gasping

Verb

Derek wants to hear Julia audibly breathing next week, which is both a hilarious and insane request.

— Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
Alexander Schecter, 26, was reported by a family member as unconscious and not breathing at his family’s residence in the 800 block of San Vicente Boulevard on Monday evening, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of breathing

Verb

Alaniz then detained her for a drug-sniffing dog, which alerted to the vehicle.

— Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2026
And security inside Alice Tully Hall, where the film premiered, was certainly tight—metal detectors, physical checks of bags, K9 bomb-sniffing dogs.

— Hannah Seligson, Vanity Fair, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of sniffing

Verb

Like some of the music, the album artwork also pays homage to the animal world and our interconnectedness—the abstract piece offers a single line drawing that weaves in outlines of a panting dog, screeching cat, stoic bunny, and wise owl.

— Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 28 Sep. 2026
The delivery person added that none of the canines appeared to have access to food or sufficient water, and that all the animals were panting.

— Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026