Sigh of relief meaning in English
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Definition
a sigh (of relief): an audible exhalation, a breath outwards (for example because you are relieved)
Examples
- "Brian : (Long, profound sigh)"
- "Sick of the Anglo-Saxon housing invasion, perhaps the whole of Europe can now start to breathe a sigh of relief."
Exercise 1
This article contains 208 words. Some of them are worth looking at in more detail.
Can you select the correct definition for the following expressions? Thanks, you're very kind.
"Now they are snapping up homes." ---> Now they are .
"The whole of Europe can now start to breathe a sigh of relief." ---> The whole of Europe can .
"British buyers come in all shapes and sizes." ---> British buyers .
Can you select the correct definition for the following expressions? Thanks, you're very kind.
"Now they are snapping up homes." ---> Now they are .
"The whole of Europe can now start to breathe a sigh of relief." ---> The whole of Europe can .
"British buyers come in all shapes and sizes." ---> British buyers .
This article contains 208 words. Some of them are worth looking at in more detail.
Can you select the correct definition for the following expressions? Thanks, you're very kind.
"Now they are snapping up homes." ---> Now they are buying homes as soon as they become available 1.
"The whole of Europe can now start to breathe a sigh of relief." ---> The whole of Europe can begin to feel comfortable again 2.
"British buyers come in all shapes and sizes." ---> British buyers are composed of many different types of people 3.
Can you select the correct definition for the following expressions? Thanks, you're very kind.
"Now they are snapping up homes." ---> Now they are buying homes as soon as they become available 1.
"The whole of Europe can now start to breathe a sigh of relief." ---> The whole of Europe can begin to feel comfortable again 2.
"British buyers come in all shapes and sizes." ---> British buyers are composed of many different types of people 3.
1 buying homes as soon as they become available: This is the correct answer. The phrasal verb "to snap up (a book)" means to buy it as soon as it becomes available, or to "hurry" to buy it. For example: As soon as the tickets for the Rajohead concert went on sale, I snapped one up. We read in the article that the British "are snapping up homes" meaning they are in a rush to buy homes as soon as they go on the market.
1 selling their homes easily : This is incorrect. The phrasal verb "to snap up (a house)" implies buying it, not selling it. The article is suggesting that British people are buying houses in the US, it does not mention the fact that they can sell their homes easily.
1 taking photos of homes using their new camera phones: This is incorrect. "To take a snap" is to take a photo, however this does not share the same meaning with "to snap up". The article is suggesting that British people are buying houses in the US, it makes no mention as to whether British people are taking pictures with camera phones.
1 moving in to homes: This is incorrect. The phrasal verb "to snap up (a house) is not synonymous with 'to move in (to a house)" which indicates a relocation to a place such as a house or an apartment. Example: We moved in last week, and already we want to move out!
2 begin to feel comfortable again: This is the correct answer. The idiom to "breathe (or heave) a sigh of relief" implies having a feeling of comfort after a difficult period, for example: Icarus breathed a sigh of relief after he realised that he hadn't lost his calculator.
2 try to avoid starting World War III: This is absurd. It's common knowledge that World War III will be started by a bored IT support technician playing a computer game on his PC in the Pentagon.
2 live in peace and harmony: This is incorrect. The expression "to breathe a sigh of relief" has nothing to do with living in peace and harmony.
2 enjoy a period of economic growth: This is incorrect. The expression "to breathe a sigh of relief" has nothing to do with enjoying a period of economic growth. In any case, while the British refuse to accept the Euro, a sustained period of economic growth throughout Europe is unlikely to become reality any time soon.
3 are composed of many different types of people: This is correct. The expression "(to come) in all shapes and sizes" describes being comprised of various types of people and things. In the article we read that "British buyers come in all shapes and sizes" meaning that many different types of British people are coming to buy property in the US.
3 drink warm beer and eat like pigs: While this sentence is true, I'm afraid it doesn't accurately describe the correct meaning of the expression "in all shapes and sizes". Good guess though, in the future try going to Britain and preparing yourself for the culinary delights you'll find there.
3 come in large numbers: This is incorrect. The expression "(to come) in all shapes and sizes" has nothing to do with coming in large numbers. The article is suggesting that there are many different types of British buyers.
3 are looking for various types of property: This is incorrect. The expression "(British buyers come) in all shapes and sizes" does not mean that they are looking for various types of property. The article is suggesting that there are many different types of British buyers.
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