suspire: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
RareLiterary, archaic, poetic
Quick answer
What does “suspire” mean?
To breathe deeply.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To breathe deeply; to sigh (an archaic or literary term).
To express a yearning, sorrow, or longing through a deep breath; figuratively, to lament or feel aspiration towards something.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in usage, as the word is equally rare and literary in both varieties.
Connotations
Poetic, old-fashioned, emotionally charged.
Frequency
Extremely rare in contemporary speech and writing for both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “suspire” in a Sentence
Suspire (intransitive)Suspire for/with something (intransitive + prepositional phrase)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “suspire” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- She would suspire by the window, lost in thoughts of her homeland.
- Listen, you can hear the old oak susprise in the wind.
American English
- He suspired heavily before answering the difficult question.
- In the poem, the lover suspires for his unattainable beloved.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Never used.
Academic
Rare, only in literary analysis of older texts.
Everyday
Not used.
Technical
Not used.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “suspire”
- Using it in modern conversation.
- Confusing it with 'aspire' (though related via the 'spire' root).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is extremely rare and considered archaic or literary. You will almost never hear it in everyday conversation.
They are synonyms, but 'suspire' is the much older, more formal, and poetic variant. 'Sigh' is the standard modern word.
Typically, no. It carries connotations of sadness, longing, weariness, or deep emotion, similar to a heavy sigh.
Yes, distantly. Both come from the Latin root 'spirare' meaning 'to breathe'. 'Inspire' means to breathe in (or into), while 'suspire' means to breathe out deeply.
To breathe deeply.
Suspire is usually literary, archaic, poetic in register.
Suspire: in British English it is pronounced /səˈspaɪə/, and in American English it is pronounced /səˈspaɪr/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “(archaic) Suspire one's last: to die, to breathe one's last breath.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'SUSPIre' as a SUSPICIOUSLY deep, longing SIGH (both words share 'susp' and relate to breath/emotion).
Conceptual Metaphor
EMOTION IS AIR (Sorrow/longing is expelled or inhaled as a sigh).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the word 'suspire' be MOST appropriate?