exhale
Americanverb (used without object)
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to emit breath or vapor; breathe out.
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to pass off as vapor; pass off as an effluence.
verb (used with object)
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to breathe out; emit (air, vapor, sound, etc.).
to exhale a sigh.
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to give off as vapor.
The engine exhaled steam.
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to draw out as a vapor or effluence; evaporate.
verb
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to expel (breath, tobacco smoke, etc) from the lungs; breathe out
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to give off (air, vapour, fumes, etc) or (of air, vapour, etc) to be given off; emanate
Other Word Forms
- exhalable adjective
- exhalation noun
- unexhaled adjective
Etymology
Origin of exhale
1350–1400; Middle English exalen < Latin exhālāre, equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + hālāre to breathe
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Bring in a few unscented candles to help the room exhale a little.
From Salon
The manager turned off the vacuum, recoiled hoses and exhaled with relief.
From Los Angeles Times
This method is designed to capture exhaled aerosols before they spread through the room.
From Science Daily
By following how quickly these isotopes left the body through urine, the scientists were able to determine how much carbon dioxide the athletes exhaled and, in turn, estimate total calorie expenditure.
From Science Daily
By late afternoon, most test-takers walk out of school gates, exhaling with relief and embracing the family members waiting outside.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
