Uh-oh. You just reviewed your novel and found more than one hundred instances of sighed. How can you fix your story without a major rewrite?

Before We Begin, Consider This

Have you ever tried to laugh, hiss, or sigh while you’re talking? Try it.

Now, scrutinize the following sentence.

He sighed , “You’re impossible.”

Note that He sighed has been used as a dialogue tag. But you can’t sigh dialogue.

Correct:

He sighed . “You’re impossible.”

Here, He sighed is changed into an action beat by replacing the comma with a period.



Now that’s out of the way, let’s contemplate how to remove all those duplicate sighs in your writing.

Motivation Is Key

If you don’t know the reason behind your character’s sigh, how can you expect your readers to? They’re not telepathic.

Review the following emotions that might cause a sigh.

A to T

adulation, agitation, compassion, cynicism, delight, exasperation, failure, impatience, loneliness, longing, overconfidence, remorse, resolve, self-doubt, stoicism, suspense, suspicion, tranquility

Consider a few action beats and physical manifestations that show these emotions.

Adulation

Moistening of the lips

Following someone with the eyes

Nodding at everything a person says

Agitation

Scowling

Pacing

Glancing at a door or wristwatch

Compassion

Embracing someone

Nodding

Speaking words of comfort in a soft tone

Cynicism

Pursing the lips

Smirking

Glaring in a condescending manner

Delight

Giving a fist bump or thumbs-up

Grinning

Whistling

Exasperation

Pointing a finger at someone

Clenching the fists

Shaking the head

Failure

Staring at one’s feet

Slouching

Staring with a vacant expression

Impatience

Slamming doors

Throwing objects

Pinched lips

Loneliness

Neglecting personal grooming

Repressing tears

Spending an inordinate time with pets

Longing

Leaning toward someone

Gazing into the distance, with a faraway expression

Biting one’s bottom lip

Overconfidence

Standing with widespread feet and crossed arms

Sneering or smirking

Bellowing in an authoritative voice

Remorse

Squeezing eyes shut

Slumping shoulders

Wincing as memories or shame surface

Resolve

Firming the jaw

Reacting with strong movements

Assuming an aggressive posture

Self-doubt

Shuffling feet

Biting one’s lip

Excessive swallowing

Stoicism

Speaking in a toneless voice

Hiding physical pain

Losing one’s appetite

Suspense

Sweating

Reacting with fluttering heart and racing pulse

Fidgeting with hands

Suspicion

Tight smile

Refusing assistance

Stuffing hands into pockets or fiddling with purse

Tranquility

Humming

Relaxed posture

Greeting everyone on the street

Find more writing tips and word lists in

The Writer’s Lexicon series.

Available in both digital and print editions.

–

Would Dialogue Work Better?

If your character’s sigh is not just an action beat but a means to communicate emotion, dialogue might be your answer. Sometimes a well-worded snippet of conversation will say more than an entire paragraph of action beats and body language.

Adulation

“Roses, just for you.”

“Nobody does it better.”

“You’re the most perfect woman a guy could ever ask for.”

Agitation

“Humph.”

“You’ll be the death of me yet.”

“What’s the matter with you, you incompetent boob?”

Compassion

“I feel your pain.”

“Aww, I understand.”

“I wish it could’ve been me instead.”

Cynicism

“Meh.”

“You can lead a horse to water, but …”

“Yeah, I’ll wait. It’s not like I have anything important to do.”

Delight

“It’s Friday. Friday!”

“For me? Really? I can’t believe it!”

“Of course! Why didn’t I see the answer sooner?”

Exasperation

“Aargh!”

“No, no, no, no, NO!”

“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times …”

Failure

“I’ll never figure this out.”

“I’ll resign in the morning.”

“Burnt. Again. Cooking was never my strong point.”

Impatience

“Hurry up. We don’t have all day, you slowpoke.”

“No, I don’t need your help. Not enough time in the day.”

“Forget the dessert. We have to leave as soon as we get the bill.”

Loneliness

“Nobody gives a hoot what an old lady thinks.”

“I feel isolated, like a prisoner in solitary confinement.”

“You don’t know what lonely is until you’ve spent a decade eating breakfast with a cat as your only company.”

Longing

“If only I could …”

“What if …”

“Ah, the old days. People don’t know what they’re missing.”

Overconfidence

“I can beat you anytime, anywhere.”

“He doesn’t know beans. Leave it to me.”

“I got what you need, baby. And lots of it. XL.”

Remorse

“I’m so, so sorry.”

“If only I could do it all over again …”

“One million, two; how much will it take to pay for my mistake?”

Resolve

“Come on. We can do this.”

“Everything is possible if you give it enough time.”

“No matter what he does or how much he insults me, I refuse to cry.”

Self-doubt

“I can’t fight them alone. I just can’t.”

“I’m not sure. I’ve never done this before.”

“But the last time I tried this, it was a colossal flop.”

Suspense

“Are we there yet?”

“… and? Get to the end of the story before I wet myself.”

“C’mon, tell me. Who did you invite for supper? Your mother?”

Suspicion

“Are you really a movie producer?”

“I hardly know you. Can I bring a friend along with me?”

“Nobody else could’ve done it. You were the only person in the room.”

Tranquility

“Ah, this is the life.”

“Me? Worry? That word isn’t even in my vocabulary.”

“Fuzzy slippers, a glass of wine, and a good book. Perfect.”

More Action Beats That Could Replace Sighs

Face plant

Fake smile

Finger stroking or tapping the chin

Gritting one’s teeth

Head in one’s hands

Rolling the eyes

Shaking the head

Shrugging

Staring out the window

Steepled fingers

Direct Replacements for Sigh

Determine your character’s motivation. Then, pick a verb from the following list or search for something similar in your favorite thesaurus.

A and B

ache, agonize, bark, bellow, bemoan, bewail, blare, blat, blub, blubber, bray, breathe, brood

C to E

cackle, carp, caterwaul, chafe, choke, clamor, cluck, complain, crave, declaim, decry, effuse, exhale

F to H

fret, gasp, gripe, groan, grouse, growl, grumble, grunt, gulp, gurgle, hanker, hiccup, hiss, howl, huff

I to O

inhale, keen, lament, languish, long for, meditate, mewl, moan, mope, mumble, muse, mutter, obsess

P to R

pant, pine, pout, puff, pule, purr, reflect, rue

S

sibilate, snap, snarl, sneeze, sniff, sniffle, snivel, snort, snuffle, sob, sough, squall, squawk, squeal, stew, sulk, suspire

T to Y

thirst, wail, wheeze, whimper, whine, whistle, yammer, yawp, yowl

Feedback

Have you created or encountered a memorable replacement for sigh?

📝 I’d love to hear about it.

Find more writing tips and word lists in

The Writer’s Lexicon series.

Available in both digital and print editions.

–