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

I was out of breath because I was pedaling at my regular cadence, but each stroke had a lot more power.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

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

I stop, look up, and beam, out of breath.

From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper