out of breath

Idioms and Phrases

Breathing with difficulty, panting, gasping. For example, After five flights of stairs I'm out of breath . This slightly hyperbolic term (since literally running out of breath means one is dead) dates from the late 1500s. Also see catch one's breath .

Example Sentences

“It was super fun,” says a slightly out-of-breath 10 year-old Samuel Feller after three laps on the track.

From The Daily Beast

"I'm glad to see you, Mrs. Meadowsweet," said Mrs. Butler, in a slightly out-of-breath tone.

From Project Gutenberg

At last she appeared: an out-of-breath Bobinette, and somewhat flustered.

From Project Gutenberg