Sigh

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:

    I sigh that kiss you,
    For I must own
    That I shall miss you
    When you have grown.
    William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)

    cover the pale blossoms of your breast
    With your dim heavy hair,
    And trouble with a sigh for all things longing for rest
    The odorous twilight there.
    William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)

    In our man-of-war world, Life comes in at one gangway and Death goes overboard at the other. Under the man-of-war scourge, curses mix with tears; and the sigh and the sob furnish the bass to the shrill octave of those who laugh to drown buried griefs of their own.
    Herman Melville (1819–1891)