out of breath

Idioms  

1. Breathing with difficulty, panting, gasping. For example, After five flights of stairs I'm out of breath. This slightly hyperbolic term (since literally running out of breath means one is dead) dates from the late 1500s. Also see catch one's breath.

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Example Sentences

AQ points are earned whenever physical activity raises your heart rate enough to make you slightly out of breath.

From Science Daily • May 16, 2026

The activity needs to be strenuous enough to leave you noticeably out of breath.

From Science Daily • May 16, 2026

High intensity exercise - getting out of breath, getting your heartbeat up - is really beneficial, but it is only part of the picture, she told the BBC Radio Four podcast What's Up Doc?

From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026

He emphasizes effort over perfection: Walk fast enough to get out of breath, but not so fast that you can’t finish the three-minute interval.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 31, 2025

Peach was right behind me, flapping in his gooneybird way and out of breath.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles