breathe
Other forms: breathing; breathed; breathes
When you breathe you take air into your lungs and let it out in a regular rhythm. Living things need to breathe to live.
This word has several meanings related to living and taking in air. When someone says "As long as I breathe!" they mean "As long as I live!" In music, some silence can let the piece breathe. If you need a moment or room to breathe, you need a break. Wine breathes when it’s uncorked, enhancing its flavor. Breathing life into something gives it new energy. If this explanation has made you nervous, breathe deeply — that helps many people to relax.
Definitions of breathe
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draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs“I can breathe better when the air is clean”
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synonyms:
respire, suspire, take a breath
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respire
undergo the biomedical and metabolic processes of respiration by taking up oxygen and producing carbon monoxide
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respire
breathe easily again, as after exertion or anxiety
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types:
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respire
breathe easily again, as after exertion or anxiety
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choke
breathe with great difficulty, as when experiencing a strong emotion
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hyperventilate
breathe excessively hard and fast
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hiccough, hiccup
breathe spasmodically, and make a sound
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sigh, suspire
heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
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breathe out, exhale, expire
expel air
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breathe in, inhale, inspire
draw in (air)
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wheeze
breathe with difficulty
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yawn
utter a yawn, as from lack of oxygen or when one is tired
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saw logs, saw wood, snore
breathe noisily during one's sleep
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aspirate
suck in (air)
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snort
make a snorting sound by exhaling hard
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blow
exhale hard
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sniff, sniffle
inhale audibly through the nose
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snivel, snuffle
snuff up mucus through the nose
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snuff
inhale audibly through the nose
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drag, draw, puff
suck in or take (air)
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huff, snort
inhale recreational drugs
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gasp
inhale sharply and suddenly, as with shock
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respire
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allow the passage of air through“Our new synthetic fabric breathes and is perfect for summer wear”
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type of:
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be
have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)
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be
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expel (gases or odors)
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types:
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belch, bubble, burp, eruct
expel gas from the stomach
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force out
emit or cause to move with force of effort
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emanate, exhale, give forth
give out (breath or an odor)
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radiate
send out real or metaphoric rays
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bubble
form, produce, or emit bubbles
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effervesce, fizz, foam, form bubbles, froth, sparkle
become bubbly or frothy or foaming
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reach full flavor by absorbing air and being let to stand after having been uncorked
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impart as if by breathing
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utter or tell“not breathe a word”
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type of:
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express, give tongue to, utter, verbalise, verbalize
articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
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express, give tongue to, utter, verbalise, verbalize
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manifest or evince
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type of:
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convey
make known; pass on, of information
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convey
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be alive
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take a short break from one's activities in order to relax
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synonyms:
catch one's breath, rest, take a breather
Pronunciation
US
/brið/
UK
/brið/
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘breathe'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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