breathe a sigh of relief

breathe a sigh of relief

To experience an intense feeling of happiness or relief because something particularly stressful, unpleasant, or undesirable has been avoided or completed. Everyone in class breathed a sigh of relief after that horrible midterm exam was over. Investors are breathing a big sigh of relief now that the predicted downturn has seemingly been avoided.
See also: breathe, of, relief, sigh
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

breathe a sigh of relief

 
1. Lit. to sigh in a way that signals one's relief that something has come to an end. At the end of the contest, we all breathed a sigh of relief.
2. Fig. to express relief that something has ended. With the contract finally signed, we breathed a sigh of relief as we drank a toast in celebration.
See also: breathe, of, relief, sigh
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • heave a sigh of relief
  • sigh
  • sigh of relief
  • sigh of relief, (heave) a
  • in for
  • be in for
  • be in for something
  • get (something) over with
  • get it over with
  • Let every man skin his own skunk.
References in periodicals archive
The local people while talking to newsmen expressed concern over the several hours unannounced load shedding and demanded of the high-ups to take notice of the matter, so that they could breathe a sigh of relief.
(ANI): The non-veg loving students studying at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) can now breathe a sigh of relief after the institute clarified on Sunday that there was no food restriction.
Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, can breathe a sigh of relief. What this means for Louis van Gaal is yet to be seen.
Summary: Sharjah University students given accommodation in the dormitories at Sharjah University Hospital can breathe a sigh of relief after it was announced accommodation fees are to be slashed from the new academic year.
Summary: Perhaps government officials expected that the Lebanese would breathe a sigh of relief at Wednesday's announcement that Beirut had paid its share of this year's funding of the STL.
GABRIEL HEINZE was able to breathe a sigh of relief as he emerged unscathed from ARGENTINA'S victory over Ivory Coast.
However, if a new trend catches on, parents and many other folks may breathe a sigh of relief.
Dedicated Cardiff City fans can today breathe a sigh of relief with the latest moves to help season ticket holders.
You breathe a sigh of relief, pack up your equipment, and move on to the next location.
HARD-pressed motorists can breathe a sigh of relief today when one of the final stretches of motorway linking Dublin Airport and the border is opened.
So MadonnaOs hubby Guy Ritchie can breathe a sigh of relief over the news Brad is keen to work with him again.
Patents lawyer Clarke Graham said: 'The brewing industry should breathe a sigh of relief
MOTORISTS were able to breathe a sigh of relief today after Gordon Brown chose to freeze petrol prices.
Varmint hunters can breathe a sigh of relief now that the prairie dog is being removed as a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act--thanks to new data available to the U.S.
Before anyone could breathe a sigh of relief that Ahmanson is "no longer" a fan of stoning, he quickly added, "It would still be a little hard to say that if one stumbled on a country that was doing that, that it is inherently immoral, to stone people liar these things," he said.