breathe

[ breeth ]

verb (used without object)

, breathed [bree, th, d], breath·ing.

1. to take air, oxygen, etc., into the lungs and expel it; inhale and exhale; respire.
2. (in speech) to control the outgoing breath in producing voice and speech sounds.
3. to pause, as for breath or rest:

   How about giving me a chance to breathe?

4. to move gently or blow lightly, as air.
5. to live; exist:

   Hardly a person breathes who has not known great sorrow.

6. to be redolent or suggestive:

   a poem breathing of the sights and sounds of a rustic life.

7. (of a material) to allow air and moisture to pass through easily:

   The jacket is comfortable because the fabric breathes.

8. (of the skin) to absorb oxygen and give off perspiration.
9. (of a wine) to be exposed to air after being uncorked, in order to develop flavor and bouquet.

verb (used with object)

, breathed [bree, th, d], breath·ing.

1. to inhale and exhale in respiration.
2. to exhale:

   Dragons breathe fire.

3. to inject as if by breathing; infuse:

   She breathed life into the party.

4. to give utterance to; whisper:

   She breathed a prayer of thanks when everyone escaped the fire unharmed.

5. to express; manifest:

   This coming-of-age novel breathes the torments and joys of adolescence.

   Synonyms: divulge, reveal, voice, murmur, tell, utter

6. to allow to rest or recover breath:

   After this next hill, we should breathe the horses.

7. to deprive of breath; tire; exhaust.
8. to cause to pant; exercise.

breathe

/ briːð /

verb

1. to take in oxygen from (the surrounding medium, esp air) and give out carbon dioxide; respire
2. intr to exist; be alive

   every animal that breathes on earth

3. intr to rest to regain breath, composure, etc

   stop your questions, and give me a chance to breathe

4. intr (esp of air) to blow lightly

   the wind breathed through the trees

5. intr machinery
   1. to take in air, esp for combustion

      the engine breathes through this air filter

   2. to equalize the pressure within a container, chamber, etc, with atmospheric pressure

      the crankcase breathes through this duct

6. tr phonetics to articulate (a speech sound) without vibration of the vocal cords Compare voice
7. to exhale or emit

   the dragon breathed fire

8. tr to impart; instil

   to breathe confidence into the actors

9. tr to speak softly; whisper

   to breathe words of love

10. tr to permit to rest

    to breathe a horse

11. intr (of a material) to allow air to pass through so that perspiration can evaporate
12. breathe again or breathe freely or breathe easily
    to feel relief

    I could breathe again after passing the exam

13. breathe down someone's neck
    to stay close to someone, esp to oversee what they are doing

    the cops are breathing down my neck

14. breathe one's last
    to die or be finished or defeated

Other Words From

• out·breathe verb (used with object) outbreathed outbreathing
• pre·breathe verb (used with object) prebreathed prebreathing

Word History and Origins

Origin of breathe¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English brethe, brethen, breeth, derivative of breath

Word History and Origins

Origin of breathe¹

C13: from breath

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. breathe down someone's neck,
   1. to be close to someone in pursuit; menace; threaten:

      Police from four states were breathing down his neck.

   2. to watch someone closely so as to supervise or control:

      If everyone keeps breathing down my neck, how can I get my work done?

2. breathe freely, to have relief from anxiety, tension, or pressure: Also breathe easily, breathe easy.

   Now that the crisis was over, he could breathe freely.

3. breathe one's last, to die:

   He breathed his last and was buried in the churchyard.

4. not breathe a word / syllable, to maintain secrecy; keep a matter confidential:

   I'll tell you if you promise not to breathe a word.

More idioms and phrases containing breathe

• as I live and breathe
• breathing space
• not breathe a word

Example Sentences

I go play tennis to detach and just breathe, and then come back home and just keep studying.

From Los Angeles Times

An infected person’s cough contains contagious bacteria, which can be breathed in by anyone nearby.

From Los Angeles Times

“When I got home from tour, I had really wild dizzy spells, this feeling like I couldn’t breathe,” she said.

From Salon

It can take up to 24 hours for victims to start showing signs of illness which include: nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain which can escalate into hyperventilation and breathing problems.

From BBC

Vance posted on X that one of his right-wing critics was a “mouth breathing imbecile” and then deleted the post.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• exhale
• inhale
• sigh

How Do You Spell Breathe?

Spelling tips for breathe

The verb breathe is hard to spell because it is commonly confused with the noun breath, and it only differs by adding a silent e to the end.

How to spell breathe: The verb breathe is pronounced [ breeth ] with a long E sound, unlike the noun breath [ breath ]. All that E sound reminds you that there is a final e at the end of breathe.