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

See Examples For:

out of breath

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

He jumped at the chance to speak in their local dialect, joking that his north Wales family always sounded like they were "running out of breath".

From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2026

I arrived at Room 315 on time and out of breath.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2025

I was out of breath when I made it to Cleo.

From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman