Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
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.

But the first time I transcribed an interview I’d conducted with my breathy, inconsistent voice, I felt like one giant cringe.

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026

The president, played by a breathy, beleaguered Idris Elba and known only by his call sign, “Icon,” is of indeterminate party and ideology.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

Perhaps it’s that Manfred is so swaggeringly confident, Galitzine’s embodiment of fluid sensuality standing in stark contrast to Monroe’s stiff, anxious, breathy performance as Cherry.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2025

I heard a breathy trumpet sound that went flat and faded away.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

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.