I. verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a smile/sigh/look of satisfaction
▪
He allowed himself a little smile of satisfaction.
breathe/heave a sigh of relief
▪
United fans breathed a huge sigh of relief as Drogba's shot was tipped over the bar.
despairing cry/look/sigh etc
▪
She gave me a last despairing look.
heaved a sigh of relief
▪
Rebecca heaved a sigh of relief .
sigh of contentment
▪
He gave a sigh of contentment , and fell asleep.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
deeply
▪
She threw herself into his arms, sighing deeply when he half-heartedly returned her embrace.
▪
He sighed deeply , stepping up to the white line.
▪
Father O'Harte, easing his little white collar, for it was a hot day, sighed deeply .
▪
Kissinger would sigh deeply , then take it up once again.
▪
He sighed deeply then mounted the stairs and looked around him slowly.
▪
Oliver sighed deeply , stuffed his treasure back into his pockets and sat down on the grass to watch.
▪
In this he carefully laid Tess, and kissing her lips, sighed deeply and happily.
▪
Eventually he sighed deeply , pushed himself to his feet and with a wan smile departed.
heavily
▪
I sighed heavily and he took no notice.
▪
Theresa sighed heavily as she unbuttoned her coat.
▪
Lindsey sighed heavily , wishing she had never met Niall Grant, and knew that even that wasn't true.
▪
She sighed heavily , and then realised that her sigh was audible.
▪
At last she sighed heavily , closed her magazine and sat back in her chair with her hands clasped in her lap.
▪
Jane flopped forward on her chair and sighed heavily .
▪
Ranulf sighed heavily , a long way from this dour monastery and his secretive master.
▪
He sighed heavily , and forced himself to relax.
wearily
▪
Donna ran a hand through her hair and sighed wearily .
▪
She turned away from the window, sighing wearily as she glanced round the room.
▪
Donna sighed wearily and prepared to continue the search.
■ NOUN
relief
▪
Her exalted moment of remembrance expired, she sighed in her relief and in her certainty of purpose.
▪
We sighed with relief , congratulating our-selves on our vigilance.
▪
Kali sat down on a flat stone, sighing with relief .
▪
The liberal politicians sigh with relief and continue their efforts to enlarge the welfare state.
▪
As the plane taxied along the runway she sighed with relief .
▪
Lindsey followed, sighing her own relief as the noise faded behind them.
■ VERB
hear
▪
She guessed Stephen was looking at her, she had heard him sigh when her dress had come off.
▪
We heard the bed springs sigh as Ralph lay down.
▪
She heard his sigh of impatience, and squeezed past the speaker, groping her way through the darkness to his side.
▪
Dougal heard him sigh softly with relief.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
"I know," she sighed.
▪
"That's life, I suppose,'' she sighed.
▪
Sighing wearily, she began her routine of getting ready for bed.
▪
Frank sighed deeply and stared out of the window.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
A tiny echo sighed back at him.
▪
Eventually he sighed again, picked up his bag and went on up the steps into his house.
▪
He sighed with a mixture of delight and despair.
▪
Luce read it through twice, and sighed.
▪
She sighed crossly, was about to dispose of the paper when a wicked thought possessed her.
▪
She sighed lightly and pushed the door closed before she turned to dress.
▪
She turned away from the window, sighing wearily as she glanced round the room.
▪
The trees swayed and sighed gently in the soft wind.
II. noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
audible
▪
There was an audible sigh of relief.
▪
There was an almost audible sigh of relief as they all stood around the foot of the column.
▪
An audible sigh of relief rose from the ranks of mainstream macroeconomists.
▪
There was an almost audible sigh of relief around the world that some one had been caught tampering with the dictionary.
▪
He only just made it back to the crease. Audible sighs of relief.
big
▪
Rex breathed a very big sigh of relief.
▪
The readers' response: a big sigh and a rustle as they turn the page.
▪
A yawn, then a big sigh .
▪
Pulling up outside the hotel, she gave a big , thankful sigh .
▪
Sara gave a big involuntary sigh and returned to her hairpins and rollers.
collective
▪
The watching deities gave a collective sigh .
▪
You could hear a collective sigh of relief.
▪
A collective sigh of relief seemed to whistle from every pore of the house as I walked away.
▪
There was a collective sigh of relief.
deep
▪
She looked out of the now sparkling window and heaved a deep sigh .
▪
The chief let out a deep sigh .
▪
He heard the library clock faintly chiming the hour over towards the Butts Estate and sighed a deep and heartfelt sigh.
▪
She ran her fingers through the dark mass of her hair and let out a deep sigh .
▪
Everyone in the convoy breathed a deep sigh of relief.
▪
With a deep sigh , I left the room and locked it behind me.
great
▪
But perhaps ... She opened the surgery door and Helen greeted her with a great sigh of relief.
▪
The brakes caught with a great sigh .
▪
There came a sipping sound, a slight smacking of lips, and another great dismal sigh .
▪
A great sigh , so loud it could be heard in the back of the balcony.
▪
He heaved a great sigh of hopelessness.
▪
We have all felt the howling wind of that great communal sigh which emanates from the queue behind you.
▪
Finally and with a great sigh , Robyn forced herself into action.
huge
▪
Jubilation! Huge sighs of relief.
▪
Mildred opened her eyes and breathed a huge sigh of relief.
▪
Everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief.
▪
Women around the world were heard to heave a huge sigh of relief.
▪
Suddenly he let out a huge sigh , as though the air was being forced out of him.
little
▪
She stood looking in the window, then gave a little sigh .
▪
Her hand moved below, smoothed, stroked where the love-ache was, until Bethany gave a little sigh .
▪
Releasing a shaky little sigh , she put the iron back on its stand with a hand that shook.
▪
Quinn let out a little sigh and closed the book.
▪
Unconsciously she gave a little sigh .
▪
She wasn't going to find out tonight, Caroline thought with a little sigh .
▪
She slept deeply; sometimes she gave a comfortable little sigh .
▪
With a little sigh , Caroline settled into a chair opposite and put her head back.
long
▪
He breathed out, a long sigh of a breath.
▪
I envisioned her smile, and the long sigh as we gave ourselves over to an honest conversation.
▪
Folding her against him, he gave a long sigh , then moved her back so that he could look into her face.
▪
He gave a long sigh , finally, and said he hated everything around here.
▪
Mr Donovan gave a long sigh of relief.
▪
She let out a long , appreciative sigh .
▪
When he kissed her there was a long , shared sigh .
small
▪
The boy's knees buckled and the air left his lungs in a small sigh .
▪
She tried to imagine herself doing it and then heaved a small sigh .
▪
If only he would talk to her ... Jessamy gave a small sigh .
▪
She looked at the pretty fountain again and gave a small sigh .
▪
Eleanor went completely white, and Jessamy gave a small sigh of relief.
▪
She sighed a small sigh, feeling a little better.
▪
Just another unanswered question, she acknowledged with a small sigh , as she re-wrapped it.
▪
With a small guttural sigh she relaxed and allowed him to part her thighs.
weary
▪
With a weary sigh she rubbed a hand over her eyes.
▪
Robyn breathed a weary sigh of relief, and threw the carrier of wet clothes on to the floor.
▪
Father Poole gave a weary sigh .
▪
Holman let a weary sigh escape from his lips.
■ VERB
breathe
▪
He breathed a sigh or relief when Mrs Long announced he had polled 31.
▪
A lot of abortion rights supporters also breathed a premature sigh of relief.
▪
The Government could breathe a sigh of relief at the disappearance of some of its fiercest critics.
▪
As you awaken from this nightmare, you breathe a sigh of relief.
▪
Everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief.
▪
He breathed a sigh of relief as he bumped over the crest.
▪
If, as trials suggest, the system is a success, the foot-weary pedestrian will breathe a sigh of relief.
give
▪
It was quite half an hour before he gave a sigh and settled down again to reading his magazine.
▪
Her hand moved below, smoothed, stroked where the love-ache was, until Bethany gave a little sigh .
▪
Folding her against him, he gave a long sigh , then moved her back so that he could look into her face.
▪
He gave a sigh of relief and started walking again.
▪
When she woke in the morning, it was to clear blue skies, and she gave a sigh of pleasure.
▪
The man gave a sigh of resignation.
▪
Kelly waved as she pulled away in her car, and gave a little sigh of relief.
▪
Sara gave a big involuntary sigh and returned to her hairpins and rollers.
heave
▪
She looked out of the now sparkling window and heaved a deep sigh .
▪
I heave a sigh of resignation, knowing how notoriously difficult it is to put unity into words.
▪
He and Christopher got on well, and Jane heaved an inward sigh of relief.
▪
Those whose companies' dealings with Codelco declined during that time frame say they are heaving sighs of relief.
▪
The sergeant sat down, placed his feet into the ice-cold potassium permanganate solution and heaved a euphoric sigh of relief.
▪
The water companies are heaving a sigh of relief.
▪
She tried to imagine herself doing it and then heaved a small sigh .
let
▪
She let out a sigh of impatience.
▪
The chief let out a deep sigh .
▪
Once Ari had gone, Leila slumped, letting out a sigh .
▪
She ran her fingers through the dark mass of her hair and let out a deep sigh .
▪
I close the door and let out a sigh of relief.
▪
Quinn let out a little sigh and closed the book.
say
▪
Those whose companies' dealings with Codelco declined during that time frame say they are heaving sighs of relief.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
breathe a sigh of relief
▪
I breathed a sigh of relief that the boy had been found safe.
▪
As you awaken from this nightmare, you breathe a sigh of relief.
▪
If the law lords tell Lord Young to publish, he will breathe a sigh of relief and obey.
▪
In the end Krushchev backed down and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
▪
Marie breathed a sigh of relief.
▪
She breathed a sigh of relief, and ran through to the living-room where she could hear Stephen's voice.
▪
The deadline came, the flood gates opened and we breathed a sigh of relief.
▪
The Government could breathe a sigh of relief at the disappearance of some of its fiercest critics.
▪
Yet the medical profession, seeing no upturn in the incidence of cancer, breathed a sigh of relief.
heave a sigh
▪
As for Uncle Walter ... Alec heaved a sigh.
▪
However, as far as the retailers' 1992/93 profits are concerned, they have heaved a sigh of relief.
▪
I heave a sigh of resignation, knowing how notoriously difficult it is to put unity into words.
▪
Kathleen found herself heaving a sigh of relief.
▪
The water companies are heaving a sigh of relief.
▪
Those whose companies' dealings with Codelco declined during that time frame say they are heaving sighs of relief.
▪
When Tom Hanks passed on the news that evening on his way home, Seb heaved a sigh of relief.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
"Oh no!" he said with a sigh , "Not again!"
▪
Irene closed the door behind her and breathed a big sigh of relief.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
It was amazing what a sigh could do.
▪
Quinn let out a little sigh and closed the book.
▪
She looked out of the now sparkling window and heaved a deep sigh .
▪
Tabitha flung herself at the hard bunk with an angry sigh .
▪
The chief let out a deep sigh .
▪
The water companies are heaving a sigh of relief.
▪
Those whose companies' dealings with Codelco declined during that time frame say they are heaving sighs of relief.