exhale

American  

[eks-heyl, ek-seyl] / ɛksˈheɪl, ɛkˈseɪl /

verb (used without object)

exhaled, exhaling

1. to emit breath or vapor; breathe out.

2. to pass off as vapor; pass off as an effluence.

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verb (used with object)

exhaled, exhaling

1. to breathe out; emit (air, vapor, sound, etc.).

   to exhale a sigh.

2. to give off as vapor.

   The engine exhaled steam.

3. to draw out as a vapor or effluence; evaporate.

exhale British  

/ ɛksˈheɪl, ɪɡˈzeɪl /

verb

1. to expel (breath, tobacco smoke, etc) from the lungs; breathe out

2. to give off (air, vapour, fumes, etc) or (of air, vapour, etc) to be given off; emanate

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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

I dug my elbows into the table and focused on inhaling—then exhaling.

From Literature

For many Americans, retirement is supposed to be a financial exhale.

From MarketWatch

My sister inhales and exhales slowly, then opens her mouth to try again.

From Literature

He inhaled deeply three times, filling his lungs with oxygen and holding it before he exhaled.

From Literature

“My goal right now is to just exhale; recover, kind of get myself together. I’ve been sprinting hard for many, many years and it will be nice to kind of recharge,” Bostic said.

From Barron's

Related Words

• breathe
• emit
• give off
• let out