Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

breathe life into

Idioms  
  1. Also, breathe new life into. Revive someone or something. For example, Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) shows one how to breathe life into a drowning victim, or Her appointment breathed new life into the firm. This term is used both literally, for reviving a person who has stopped breathing temporarily, and figuratively, for giving new impetus to or renewing some project. Also see breath of fresh air.


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:

AI is also helping breathe life into queer histories that have been little acknowledged or risk being erased.

From Barron's Jun. 30, 2026

And writing the formula in computer code doesn’t breathe life into it; it just uses a different set of symbols to describe it.

From Slate May 25, 2026

To make the lines stand out, the nanny breathes on the glass, suggesting her love has helped to breathe life into the girl.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 30, 2025

Hodge, a 31-year-old playing only his fourth Test, should have been caught on 16 by Joe Root, but instead went on to make 120 to breathe life into the tourists and the series.

From BBC Jul. 19, 2024

We sit waiting for someone to breathe life into us.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training