breathe a sigh of relief
Finally relax now
To breathe a sigh of relief is to exhale audibly when anxiety or worry has passed, expressing the release of tension.
The phrase captures that moment when you learn the test results are negative, the flight landed safely, or the deadline got extended.
When the jury announced not guilty, the defendant breathed a sigh of relief.
The expression works both literally—people do actually sigh—and as a figure of speech for any sense of unburdening.
- exhaleExpel breath outward
- sighAudible emotional breath
- releaseTo let go
- catharsisPurification through emotional expression
- comfortEase or soothing relief
calmness · at ease · solace · thank goodness · close call · tranquility · closure · safety · all clear · safe and sound · gesture · reassurance · body language · recovery · assuage · let go · respite · decompress
breathe a sigh of relieftense up
Become rigid from stress
hold one's breath · panic · brace for impact · catch one's breath · wince
breathe, relief, breath, breaths, breathes, breathing, breather, breathable, breathless