breeze
1 Americannoun
-
a wind or current of air, especially a light or moderate one.
-
a wind of 4–31 miles per hour (2–14 meters per second).
-
Informal. an easy task; something done or carried on without difficulty.
Finding people to join in the adventure was a breeze.
-
Chiefly British Informal. a disturbance or quarrel.
verb (used without object)
-
breezes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
breezed,
past participle, past
-
breezing
present participle
-
(of the wind) to blow a breeze (usually used impersonally with it as subject).
It breezed from the west all day.
-
to move in a self-confident or jaunty manner.
She breezed up to the police officer and asked for directions.
-
Informal. to proceed quickly and easily; move rapidly without intense effort (often followed by along, into, orthrough ).
He breezed through the task.
The car breezed along the highway.
verb (used with object)
-
breezes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
breezed,
past participle, past
-
breezing
present participle
verb phrase
-
breeze in
-
to win effortlessly.
He breezed in with an election plurality of 200,000.
-
Also breeze intoout. to move or act with a casual or careless attitude.
He breezed out without paying attention to anyone.
-
-
breeze up to become windy.
idioms
noun
-
cinders, ash, or dust from coal, coke, or charcoal.
-
concrete, brick, or cinder block in which such materials form a component.
noun
-
a gentle or light wind
-
meteorol a wind of force two to six inclusive on the Beaufort scale
-
informal an easy task or state of ease
being happy here is a breeze
-
informal a disturbance, esp a lively quarrel
-
informal to chat
verb
-
to move quickly or casually
he breezed into the room
-
(of wind) to blow
the south wind breezed over the fields
noun
noun
Synonym Usage
See wind 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
breezesimple
-
breezessimple
-
have breezedperfect
-
has breezedperfect
-
am breezingprogressive
-
are breezingprogressive
-
is breezingprogressive
-
have been breezingperfect progressive
-
has been breezingperfect progressive
Past
-
breezedsimple
-
had breezedperfect
-
was breezingprogressive
-
were breezingprogressive
-
had been breezingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of breeze1
First recorded in 1555–65; earlier brize, brise “north or northeast wind”; compare Dutch bries, East Frisian brîse, French brize, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan brisa, Italian brezza; further origin uncertain
Origin of breeze2
First recorded in 1720–30; variant of dialect brays, from French braise “live coals, cinders”; see braze 2
Explanation
A breeze is a light, cool wind. One of the nicest things about being at the beach on a hot summer day is feeling the gentle breeze off the water. The air that blows your hair around and rustles the leaves is one kind of breeze. Another is the task that's easily completed or the job that is practically effortless: "Your dog is so good, walking him is a breeze!" You can also breeze through something that's simple and fast, like when you breeze through a math test, finishing long before your classmates.
Vocabulary lists containing breeze
"Caged Bird" by Maya Angelou
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Growing Together" and "When I Grow Up"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Lyrics to "America" by Stephen Sondheim (1951)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
As my mind drifted, the sound of a breeze, created by handheld fans, filled the room.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Every night, when summer heat and blackouts make sleep impossible at home, Cubans head for rooftops, porches and public spaces where they can catch a breeze.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
You might breeze through or be stuck in line for a few hours, sometimes on the same trip.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
The day was in the low 70s, and a breeze was coming through our kitchen window; I decided I would not mind standing at the stove long enough to coax the squash toward sweet collapse.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
He leaned against it with his ankles crossed and she stood beside him, her skirt and hair fluttering from a breeze that stirred up bits of litter in the alley.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
This can help to intensify future heatwaves on land by reducing the cooling effect from sea breezes.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Over the next few days, ocean breezes will die down and the beaches will heat up.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
The listing adds that the residents of Kula are blessed with “year-round springtime with gentle Pacific breezes and consistently comfortable temperatures.”
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 28, 2026
"We'll have to monitor those feisty cumulus clouds and potentially a few showers and breezes as well," Mark Burger, the launch weather officer, said Tuesday.
From Barron's ● Apr. 1, 2026
He smelled of fire smoke, salt breezes, and man.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
And a colleague breezed through new biometric gates in a touchless lane in Newark this week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
“That is very good!” she called as she breezed past.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
Contrary to what many experts expected, Mexico has breezed through the group stage and the second round at home.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
It came as no surprise last week when Sandisk breezed past quarterly earnings expectations in this backdrop.
From Barron's ● May 8, 2026
The front door opened and the McKays breezed in.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
But, breezing along at 80 mph, I couldn’t hear the engine start nor could I feel it running.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
The company is not afraid of breezing past deadlines.
From Barron's ● May 20, 2026
Previously, most people could get the vaccine, often with no copay, by breezing into a pharmacy while grocery shopping.
From Salon ● May 27, 2025
Plus she likes reading a book, not a screen, savoring the words, not breezing through content.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2024
Emilika still slept in my room, though during the week she often stayed late at the photography shop, developing the film, sometimes breezing in only just before curfew.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
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.
