Sigh
A sigh is a kind of paralinguistic respiration in the form of a deep and especially audible, single exhalation of air out of the mouth or nose, that humans use to communicate emotion. It is voiced pharyngeal fricative, sometimes associated with a guttural glottal breath exuded in a low tone. It often arises from a negative emotion, such as dismay, dissatisfaction, boredom, or futility. A sigh can also arise from positive emotions such as relief, particularly in response to some negative situation ending or being avoided. Like a gasp, a yawn, or a moan, a sigh is often an automatic and unintentional act. In literature, a sigh is often used to signify that the person producing it is lovelorn.
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Famous quotes containing the word sigh:
“Or a sigh of such as bring
Cowslips for her covering.”
—Robert Herrick (1591–1674)
“And a sigh heaves from all the small things on earth,
The books, the papers, the old garters and union-suit buttons
Kept in a white cardboard box somewhere ...
The summer demands and takes away too much,
But night, the reserved, the reticent, gives more than it takes.”
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)
“No one—man or woman—can have it all without support from the workplace and genuine help at home. Women, regardless of how they have chosen to lead their lives, can now breathe a collective sigh of relief that superwoman is dead.”
—Deborah J. Swiss (20th century)