sigh

breathe a sigh of relief 

1. Lit. to sigh in a way that signals one's relief that something has come to an end. At the end of the contest, we all breathed a sigh of relief.

2. Fig. to express relief that something has ended. With the contract finally signed, we breathed a sigh of relief as we drank a toast in celebration.

See also: breathe, relief

sigh about something

to release a deep breath, indicating anxiety, distress, or relief about something. What are you sighing about? she sighed about her illness and then shifted her thoughts to something else.

sigh for someone

to release a deep breath, indicating anxiety about one's emotional attachment for someone. Dave spent a lot of his time sighing for Laura, on whom he had a crush. Laura has been sighing for some as-yet-unnamed young man.

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breathe a sigh of relief

to feel comfortable again after worrying about something Coastal residents breathed a sigh of relief when the hurricane was downgraded to a tropical storm. Her children breathed a quiet sigh of relief when she made arrangements to get help.

See also: breathe, relief