Sighlike

Sighlike is an adjective used to describe something that resembles a sigh in sound, mood, or effect. It denotes a soft, breathy, or lamenting quality, often conveying relief, tiredness, sadness, or longing. The term can apply to voices, musical phrases, atmospheric sounds, or stylistic choices in writing. In literature, sighlike imagery can evoke melancholy or weariness, lending atmosphere or emotional depth to a scene. In music, a sighlike figure refers to a melodic or vocal contour that imitates the long, breathy quality of a sigh, often used to suggest yearning or resignation. In sound design and cinema, sighlike ambient elements—such as a soft wind, rustle of fabric, or distant exhale—may contribute to mood without overt action.

Origins and usage: sighlike is formed by adding the suffix -like to sigh, creating a descriptive term rather than a technical category. It is chiefly found in literary criticism, music writing, and informal analysis, where precise phonation is not required.

Examples: A sighlike pause can interrupt dialogue to convey weariness; a sighlike guitar line may sustain a muted, breathy tone; a sighlike breeze might be described in a novel to emphasize character emotion.

See also: sigh; breathy voice; prosody; melodrama; onomatopoeia.