suspire
/səs'paiə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To breathe, to respire: The act of drawing air into the lungs and expelling it.
- To sigh: To exhale audibly in a long, deep breath, often expressing sadness, weariness, relief, or longing.
Examples of Usage
- Verb (to breathe):
- After running, he needed a moment to suspire deeply and regain his composure.
- The doctor instructed the patient to suspire normally during the examination.
- Verb (to sigh):
- Upon hearing the disappointing news, she could only suspire and look out the window.
- He suspired with contentment after finishing the large meal.
Advanced Usage
- Literary/Archaic Usage: "Suspire" is a formal, literary, and somewhat archaic term. In modern English, "breathe" and "sigh" are far more common.
- The ancient text described how the earth itself seemed to suspire in the stillness of dawn.
- Figurative Use: It can be used figuratively to describe something that seems to breathe or emit a soft sound.
- The old house seemed to suspire with the wind passing through its cracks.
Variants and Related Words
- Suspiration (noun): The act of sighing or breathing deeply.
- A soft suspiration escaped her lips.
- Aspire (verb): To direct one's hopes or ambitions toward achieving something. (Note: This is a different word with a distinct meaning, but it shares the Latin root , meaning "to breathe.")
Synonyms
- For "to breathe": Respire, inhale and exhale.
- For "to sigh": Heave a sigh, moan (context-dependent).
Related Phrases
- To suspire for (archaic/poetic): To long for or yearn for something.
- He suspired for the days of his youth. (This usage is very rare and poetic.)
Notes on Usage
- Register: "Suspire" is primarily used in poetic, literary, or formal contexts. In everyday conversation and most modern writing, "sigh" and "breathe" are the standard terms.
- Connotation: When meaning "to sigh," it often carries a connotation of deep emotion, melancholy, or profound weariness.
Verb
- draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs
- I can breathe better when the air is clean
- The patient is respiring
- heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
- She sighed sadly