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Synonyms

breathy

American  
[breth-ee] / ˈbrɛθ i /

adjective

breathier, breathiest

  1. (of the voice) characterized by audible or excessive emission of breath.

breathy British  
/ ˈbrɛθɪ /

adjective

  1. (of the speaking voice) accompanied by an audible emission of breath

  2. (of the singing voice) lacking resonance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • breathily adverb
  • breathiness noun

Etymology

Origin of breathy

First recorded in 1520–30; breath + -y 1

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.

Not helping matters were the show’s taped introductions to the segments—breathy readings, delivered with mushy diction, of incomprehensible poems by Monty Richthofen.

From The Wall Street Journal

The attraction is in the haunting texture of the picture, its delicate, breathy wonder.

From The Wall Street Journal

I asked, my voice a little breathy as I cantered beside her.

From Literature

“I do believe opals have the magic power,” came the pretty lady’s breathy reply.

From Literature

“He is so tall, he cannot even lie straight in his berth,” Aunt Kate whispered, taking her seat across from me with a breathy grin.

From Literature

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.