sough
Say it: SOW /saʊ/ · noun
What “sough” means
A soft sighing sound, like wind moving through trees.
More precisely: A soft moaning or sighing sound, like wind in the trees.
Example: “From the tent we heard only the sough of the wind through the pines.”
When to use it
Use it in gentle, literary descriptions of wind or other low, sighing sounds in quiet surroundings.
Memory trick
Say it like “sow” in “female pig”, rhyming with “cow”; imagine trees sighing softly.
Similar words
sigh, murmur, whisper
Where it comes from
Old English swōgan, 'to make a sound'.
Quick check
You sit beneath a willow and hear a low, gentle sigh as the breeze moves its branches. That's…
a sough or a whistle?
Show the answer
a sough
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