English Explanatory Dictionary

sough

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To make a soft rustling or murmuring sound.
noun
  1. A murmuring sound; rushing, rustling, or whistling sound.
  2. A gentle breeze; a waft; a breath.
  3. A (deep) sigh.
  4. A vague rumour.
  5. A cant or whining mode of speaking, especially in preaching or praying.
noun
  1. A small drain; an adit.
verb
  1. To drain.
name
  1. A hamlet in Kelbrook and Sough parish, Pendle borough, Lancashire, England (OS grid ref SD9045).

Pronunciation

/saʊ/ /sʌf/ Sough SAU.ogg Sough SAF.ogg

Word forms

sough soughs soughing soughed

Etymology

From Middle English *sough, swough, swogh, from Middle English swoȝen, swowen, from Old English swōgan (“to make a sound; move with noise; rush; roar”), from Proto-West Germanic *swōgan, from Proto-Germanic *swōganą from Proto-Indo-European *sweh₂gʰ-, same source as English echo (via Ancient Greek). Cognate with Scots souch (“sough”), Icelandic súgur (“a rushing sound, rustle”). Noun replaced Middle English swei, sweȝ from Old English swēg. More at swoon.

Synonyms

breathe moan murmur purl rustle sigh susurrate sough swish swough whisper whoosh

Antonyms

blare boom clang peal roar thunder

Related words

babble buzz drone hum purr whine whirr whistle whizz swow susurrus

Derived words

death-sough soughing-tile
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
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