breathe
Americanverb (used without object)
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to take air, oxygen, etc., into the lungs and expel it; inhale and exhale; respire.
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(in speech) to control the outgoing breath in producing voice and speech sounds.
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to pause, as for breath or rest.
How about giving me a chance to breathe?
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to move gently or blow lightly, as air.
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Hardly a person breathes who has not known great sorrow.
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to be redolent or suggestive.
a poem breathing of the sights and sounds of a rustic life.
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(of a material) to allow air and moisture to pass through easily.
The jacket is comfortable because the fabric breathes.
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(of the skin) to absorb oxygen and give off perspiration.
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(of a wine) to be exposed to air after being uncorked, in order to develop flavor and bouquet.
verb (used with object)
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to inhale and exhale in respiration.
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to exhale.
Dragons breathe fire.
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to inject as if by breathing; infuse.
She breathed life into the party.
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to give utterance to; whisper.
She breathed a prayer of thanks when everyone escaped the fire unharmed.
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This coming-of-age novel breathes the torments and joys of adolescence.
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to allow to rest or recover breath.
After this next hill, we should breathe the horses.
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to cause to pant; exercise.
idioms
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not breathe a word / syllable, to maintain secrecy; keep a matter confidential.
I'll tell you if you promise not to breathe a word.
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breathe one's last, to die.
He breathed his last and was buried in the churchyard.
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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.
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breathe down someone's neck,
verb
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to take in oxygen from (the surrounding medium, esp air) and give out carbon dioxide; respire
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(intr) to exist; be alive
every animal that breathes on earth
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(intr) to rest to regain breath, composure, etc
stop your questions, and give me a chance to breathe
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(intr) (esp of air) to blow lightly
the wind breathed through the trees
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(intr) machinery
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to take in air, esp for combustion
the engine breathes through this air filter
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to equalize the pressure within a container, chamber, etc, with atmospheric pressure
the crankcase breathes through this duct
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(tr) phonetics to articulate (a speech sound) without vibration of the vocal cords Compare voice
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to exhale or emit
the dragon breathed fire
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(tr) to impart; instil
to breathe confidence into the actors
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(tr) to speak softly; whisper
to breathe words of love
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(tr) to permit to rest
to breathe a horse
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(intr) (of a material) to allow air to pass through so that perspiration can evaporate
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to feel relief
I could breathe again after passing the exam
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to stay close to someone, esp to oversee what they are doing
the cops are breathing down my neck
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to die or be finished or defeated
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
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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breathesimple
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breathessimple
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have breathedperfect
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has breathedperfect
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am breathingprogressive
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are breathingprogressive
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is breathingprogressive
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have been breathingperfect progressive
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has been breathingperfect progressive
Past
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breathedsimple
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had breathedperfect
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was breathingprogressive
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were breathingprogressive
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had been breathingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing breathe
List 2
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Sonnet 18
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Spelling Practice 1, Unit 4
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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:
The audience snorted when he said that tests showed the air was safe to breathe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
"When you breathe, you're already rich, you're already a millionaire; all the wealth is in life. I talked with him, and I was able to unburden myself."
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
As substitutes poured off the bench in celebration, they could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Anyone concerned the event might not adequately cover its poultry bases can also breathe easy: “blackened chicken, packaged chicken, boneless skinless chicken breasts and chicken legs” have all been noted.
From Salon ● Jul. 2, 2026
Breathe in for five seconds, breathe out for five seconds.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
Funaro, who relies on a wheelchair and breathes with a ventilator, has taken the neighbors to court, his family spending thousands of dollars on a legal battle that has lasted two years and counting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
The film breathes in a dynamic way, the last few beats taking a startling turn toward a somber wistfulness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
The World Health Organization says 99% of the world population breathes in polluted air leading to seven million deaths a year.
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026
"The last thing we want to do is cut his development because he's such a talent. He lives and breathes football. That's his life," added Arteta.
From Barron's ● Jan. 23, 2026
He wants to brag about this encounter, like a knight errant bragging about his coolness as he unscrews the spike from the monster’s heart and breathes life back into the fiery nostrils.
From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison
Deborah said her daughter did not just play for the badge, but "lived and breathed" for Sheffield United.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
It is still unclear what exactly was in the smoke that people breathed in.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
Seacrest transformed the property in 2024, teaming up with architectural designer Silvia Nobili of Nobili Marques Arquitectura to carry out a significant renovation that breathed new life into the space.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief that could be heard from infinity and beyond.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
He breathed out, a rough gasp of glee, and Christopher stepped back.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Since March, government figures show nearly 750 people, mostly children, have died from the highly contagious disease, which spreads easily through breathing, coughing or sneezing.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Ever since Jaguar Land Rover ceased production of the classic Land Rover Defender, fans have been snapping up discontinued models and breathing new life into them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
Inflation also has gotten some breathing room from sluggish wages and U.S. home prices.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
Four minutes after England’s second goal, Quiñones capitalized on a loose ball in the box and scored to make it 2-1, breathing new life into Mexico’s campaign and sending Azteca Stadium into a frenzy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
I stopped breathing and my old heart went absolutely crazy.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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.
