exhale
Americanverb (used without object)
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exhales,
present (3rd person singular)
-
exhaled,
past participle, past
-
exhaling
present participle
-
to emit breath or vapor; breathe out.
-
to pass off as vapor; pass off as an effluence.
verb (used with object)
-
exhales,
present (3rd person singular)
-
exhaled,
past participle, past
-
exhaling
present participle
-
to breathe out; emit (air, vapor, sound, etc.).
to exhale a sigh.
-
to give off as vapor.
The engine exhaled steam.
-
to draw out as a vapor or effluence; evaporate.
verb
-
to expel (breath, tobacco smoke, etc) from the lungs; breathe out
-
to give off (air, vapour, fumes, etc) or (of air, vapour, etc) to be given off; emanate
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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exhalesimple
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exhalessimple
-
have exhaledperfect
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has exhaledperfect
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am exhalingprogressive
-
are exhalingprogressive
-
is exhalingprogressive
-
have been exhalingperfect progressive
-
has been exhalingperfect progressive
Past
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exhaledsimple
-
had exhaledperfect
-
was exhalingprogressive
-
were exhalingprogressive
-
had been exhalingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of exhale
1350–1400; Middle English exalen < Latin exhālāre, equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + hālāre to breathe
Explanation
When you breathe, you inhale and exhale. In other words, you breathe in and out. When you breathe out, you exhale. If you exhale on a cold winter day, your breath looks like smoke in the frigid air. Yoga classes, with their emphasis on breathing, involve a lot of inhaling and exhaling. When you exhale, your lungs push air out, reducing the carbon dioxide in your body and making room for you to inhale oxygen. The Latin root exhalare combines ex, "out," and halare, "breathe."
Vocabulary lists containing exhale
Power Prefix: ex-
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The Landry News
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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:
After a minute or so he exhales, but not a normal exhale, and then I hear him say something but can’t make it out over the traffic and the rage-triggered ringing in my ears.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
This combination of measurements allowed the researchers to test whether extending the exhale did more than simply lower heart rate.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
Friedman, however, wasn’t ready to exhale until he got final word from the Tigers during the game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
The fall in oil prices on Tuesday has given traders a moment to "exhale", but energy markets remain in a state of "total tug-of-war", said Alberto Bellorin from oil and gas investment firm InterCapital Energy.
From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026
I lean back against the seat and exhale as the cab drives up to our block.
From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi
"Cong phew!" exhales the Sun after "Hero Harry" comes "to the rescue".
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
When it’s over, Parillo, whose nom de guerre in the competition is Velvet Milkman, exhales.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
Her husband Yitzhak, tense throughout, finally exhales, then explains that the couple will wait a week before choosing a name.
From Barron's ● Apr. 10, 2026
When you whisk that nutty, toffee-adjacent warmth into the mix, especially alongside fruit and a streak of citrus zest, the entire batter exhales.
From Salon ● Dec. 16, 2025
Tiara closed her eyes and blew out five sharp exhales.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
One, two, three, we all exhaled at once.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
“American Patriarch” is a tonic reminder that, from its very beginnings, our republic has exhaled a whiff of the miraculous.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
A similar quarantine design had been used in earlier research, along with specialized testing of exhaled breath developed by Milton and his colleagues.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 11, 2026
Scientists flew drones equipped with special kit through the exhaled droplets, or "blows", made when the giants come up to breathe through their blowholes.
From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2025
A few feet below him, the giant exhaled, sending a brief, tornado-like wind that almost blew Jack right out of his shirt.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
As the vessel neared the island—and Rhodes lost her ball cap in the wind—an app on the laptop she cradled lit up with digital WhaleSpotter images of whales exhaling, called “blows.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
By late afternoon, most test-takers walk out of school gates, exhaling with relief and embracing the family members waiting outside.
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2025
“I pulled almost an all-nighter last night, so he’s been keeping us up,” he said, exhaling a light chuckle.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2025
“He’ll probably start,” Roberts said, exhaling after a wild night.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2024
Smiling, stroking my head, glowing blue-white light, and exhaling softly.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
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