breathe

American  

[breeth] / brið /

verb (used without object)

• breathes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• breathed,
  past participle,  past
• breathing
  present participle

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.

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verb (used with object)

• breathes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• breathed,
  past participle,  past
• breathing
  present participle

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.

idioms

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

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

2. breathe one's last, to die.

   He breathed his last and was buried in the churchyard.

3. 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.

4. 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?

breathe British  

/ 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. to feel relief

    I could breathe again after passing the exam

13. to stay close to someone, esp to oversee what they are doing

    the cops are breathing down my neck

14. to die or be finished or defeated

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breathe More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing breathe

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

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• outbreathe
  verb (used with object)
• prebreathe
  verb (used with object)

Inflected Forms

Participles

• breathing
  present
• breathed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• breathe
  simple
• breathes
  simple
• have breathed
  perfect
• has breathed
  perfect
• am breathing
  progressive
• are breathing
  progressive
• is breathing
  progressive
• have been breathing
  perfect progressive
• has been breathing
  perfect progressive

Past

• breathed
  simple
• had breathed
  perfect
• was breathing
  progressive
• were breathing
  progressive
• had been breathing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will breathe
  simple
• will have breathed
  perfect
• will be breathing
  progressive
• will have been breathing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of breathe

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

Explanation

When you breathe you take air into your lungs and let it out in a regular rhythm. Living things need to breathe to live. This word has several meanings related to living and taking in air. When someone says "As long as I breathe!" they mean "As long as I live!" In music, some silence can let the piece breathe. If you need a moment or room to breathe, you need a break. Wine breathes when it’s uncorked, enhancing its flavor. Breathing life into something gives it new energy. If this explanation has made you nervous, breathe deeply — that helps many people to relax.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

breathe breathes breathed breathing

A Bronx jury found Omar Habib guilty of “unlawful methods of restraint,” a law that applies specifically to police officers and bars them from chokeholds that restrict a person’s ability to breathe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Holt believes the paint he used can breathe - and therefore poses less risk to the listed building.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

"It's so hot it's hard to breathe," said one resident of Guryong Village, a settlement of crude wood and tarpaulin shacks hosting around 160 households according to officials.

From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026

The fossil also preserves features on Urokodia's legs that may have served as book gills, allowing the animal to breathe underwater.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026

Nim wanted to look down into the crater, but the cloud of steam was too thick to see through and too choking to breathe.

From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr

"We need to draw on the knowledge of the people who once worked here, those who understand how the saltwork breathes," he said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026

David Raya fastens his gloves and breathes out.

From BBC ● May 29, 2026

The investment decision by Agnico Eagle breathes new life into a mine that China had hoped to run but which ran up against national security concerns.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

In the Americas, doctors can help infected people by putting them on a life-support machine known as ECMO, for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, which breathes for the patient by oxygenating the blood.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026

But she breathes in and out, unfazed at what could’ve just happened.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

People inside the PBOC, I’m told, breathed a sigh of relief.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Investors breathed a sigh of relief at the data and pared their bets on a Fed rate hike this month, though analysts warned the latest US-Iran flare-up could complicate matters.

From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026

It is still unclear what exactly was in the smoke that people breathed in.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

Stokes, with head coach Brendon McCullum, breathed life into the team and captured the imagination of the public.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

Leale leaned forward and breathed air from his own lungs directly into Lincoln’s mouth and nostrils.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

Tai chi, a gentle form of exercise based on gentle movements and breathing techniques, is another option.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026

Rather than wake the person, Rubio said he kept watching for signs of breathing until the passenger finally stirred.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

Cats had been found on all three floors of the home, with many "displaying flu-like symptoms or ailments" and some with breathing problems, Smith said.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

People become infected by breathing in the contaminated air or touching the infected surface and then touching their eyes, noses or mouths.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

I stood there, fists tight, still breathing like a bear, ready to holler all sorts of things at her like, “Too bad!” or “That’s right! Remember that, big baby!”

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan

Related Words

• exhale
• inhale
• sigh