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Glite Dictionary
le sigh

le sigh

9.9
A short playful sound showing mild disappointment or tired frustration
  • idiom
  • /lə saɪ/
  • Slang
translation icon : ay
  • Every time the printer jams, I let out a dramatic le sigh.

Examples

  • After hearing the news, I just thought, le sigh.

  • Le sigh, my favorite café is closed for renovations this week.

  • Le sigh, I can't believe the train is late again.

  • Oh, le sigh.

  • Le sigh, I can't believe the train is late again.

  • Le sigh, my favorite café is closed for renovations this week.

  • Le sigh, this exam did not go well at all.

Synonyms

haaa
vsle sigh
  • Informal
1 9.9

A long quiet sound made when you feel relieved or tired

is used playfully to imitate a theatrical or humorous sigh
blooey
vsle sigh
  • Slang
9.9

An exclamation said when something suddenly goes wrong

leans toward playful theatrical resignation rather than sudden shock

Antonyms

to celebrate
∞ 1.4

To join fun events to mark a special day or achievement

cheer
205 1.0

A loud shout people make to show approval or support

How Dramatic

le sigh
  • Slang
9.9
sighingly
8.1
to sigh
131 1.0

Surface Forms

le sigh main

Morphology

le + sigh

The core sense of expressing disappointment or resignation is directly signaled by 'sigh', so a learner who knows 'sigh' can infer the basic meaning. However, the prefixed 'le' is a playful, non-English article that adds ironic/stylistic nuance rather than semantic content, a nuance that B1 learners would not reliably predict, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Le sigh may come from online chat where people put the small French word le before sigh to make a simple breath sound more dramatic and funny. It gives the image of someone taking a slow, dramatic breath with a tiny French twist, so it is used as a joking way to show 'disappointment'.