What does sighing mean?
“Sighing” is the present participle of “sigh,” a verb describing the act of releasing a long breath, often through the mouth. It commonly suggests sadness, disappointment, fatigue, frustration, or resignation, although a sigh can also express relief after tension or difficulty. In everyday description, “sighing” often carries a slightly weary or resigned tone: someone who sighs may be accepting an unpleasant outcome or reacting to inconvenience. The word is widely used in both formal and informal English and appears in expressions such as “a deep sigh,” “a long sigh,” and “a sigh of relief.” Because a sigh can communicate an entire emotional response without words, it is especially useful in fiction and dialogue for conveying feelings that a speaker might otherwise state directly.
To emit a long, deep breath, especially as an expression of emotion such as sadness, relief, weariness, or disappointment.
"He sighed when he saw how much work remained."
The gerund form often suggests a repeated or continuing action and commonly conveys fatigue, disappointment, or resignation.
The act of emitting a long, deep breath as an expression of emotion.
"Her sighing filled the quiet room."
As a gerund noun, “sighing” usually describes repeated or sustained sighing rather than a single breath.
A sigh can communicate relief, frustration, or resignation before a single word is spoken.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sighing come from?
The verb “sigh,” from which “sighing” is formed, descends from Old English “sīġan,” meaning “to sigh” or “to be tired.” The modern form developed through Middle English and reflects a long-established Germanic verb. Its present-participle ending “-ing” is a normal English inflection, while the related noun “sigh” preserves the older root in a form used for the sound itself.
Related word forms
How sighing is actually used
“Sighing” is neutral in register but often conveys weariness, disappointment, or resignation. When describing relief, the established phrase is “sigh of relief.”
Easily confused with sighing
“Sighing” means breathing out expressively, whereas “signing” means writing one’s name or communicating through a sign language.