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breathe Definition

breathe (brēt̸h)

intransitive verb, transitive verb breathed, breath′·ing

    1. to take (air) into the lungs and let it out again; inhale and exhale, esp. easily and naturally
    2. to inhale (in full, breathe in) or exhale (in full, breathe out)
    3. to carry on respiration (sense )
  2. to live
  3. Old Poet. to give out (an odor)
  4. to give out or instill as if by breathing to breathe confidence
  5. Old Poet. to blow softly
  6. to speak or sing softly; whisper; murmur
  7. to give or take time to breathe; rest to breathe a horse
  8. to pant or cause to pant, as from exertion
  9. to react with the air after being opened or decanted and thus develop further in flavor and bouquet: said of wine
  10. to allow the passage of air, water, vapor, etc. through or as through pores: said of fabrics

Etymology: ME brethen < breth, breath

breathe Related Forms

breath′·able adjective

breathe Idioms

breathe again

to have a feeling of relief or reassurance

breathe a word

to say something or anything if you breathe a word of this to anyone, you'll regret it

breathe one's last

to die

breathe Synonyms

breathe

v.

  1. To draw breath

    respire, use one's lungs, inhale, exhale, draw in, breathe in or out, gasp, pant, wheeze, snort, sigh, take air into one's lungs or nostrils, scent, sniff, smell, huff, puff, sniffle.

  2. To live

    move, exist, be alive; see be 1.

  3. To blow gently

    puff, fan, exhale; see blow 1.

  4. To pause

    take a breath, recuperate, take a breather*; see pause, rest 2.

breathe Usage Examples

Object

  • sigh: My body can now breathe a huge sigh of relief!
  • apparatus: He also invented one of the first forms of breathing apparatus to be used by firemen.
  • oxygen: Each time I have visited the Pole I required a few hours breathing oxygen to get over the worst effects.
  • air: The theme is: " Breathe clean air for a healthier home for you, your family & pets.
  • difficulty: Does she have chest pains, breathing difficulties, the flu, stomach ache... Him: IS NOT GOOD!
  • life: You can even breathe new life into a flagging barbecue with barbecue paint!

Preposition: through

  • gill: They breathe through gills rather than lungs and have a tail for swimming, instead of legs.
  • contraction: I was doing OK still, managed to breathe through the contractions.
  • nose: Breathing through the nose will be necessary whilst the thermometer is in place.

Preposition: into

lung: These can be breathed deep into the lung where they may stay for a long time, causing possible damage.

Adjective complement

  • unaided: The porpoise was very small, and was able to swim and breathe unaided in the tank.
  • underwater: Aquatic animals have evolved various methods of breathing underwater.

Followed by an intransitive particle

through: In the correct upright position, you breathe through to your belly chakra, helping to center and remain quiet.

Present participle complement

retrain: Bruton A. & Holgate S.T. ( 2005 ) Hypocapnia and asthma: a mechanism for breathing retraining?

Preposition: in

  • fume: In case they arrived to our planet, they would have been all standing next to pipes and breathing in fumes.
  • vapor: Inhalation: Animals are forced to breathe in chemical vapors over a fixed period of time.
  • smoke: Passive smoking is when you breathe in smoke from someone elseâs cigarettes.
  • smell: Breathe in the sweet smell of orange blossom in Seville.
  • fiber: They may breathe in asbestos fibers during their day-to-day work.
  • air: I love taking photos and breathing in the air of a new exciting place.