breathe
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breathe
to inhale and exhale air: breathe deeply now; to be alive; to whisper: Don’t breathe a word of this to your mother.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
breathe
(brēth)v. breathed, breath·ing, breathes
v.intr.
1.
a. To inhale and exhale air using the lungs: Use a snorkel to breathe while swimming.
b. To inhale air or another gas: Breathe in slowly.
c. To exhale air or another gas: I breathed on the window and fogged it up.
d. To exchange gases as part of respiration or photosynthesis: Fish breathe with their gills. Stomata allow leaves to breathe.
e. To use air in combustion: leave space so the fire can breathe; replace the air filter so the engine can breathe.
2. To be alive; live: A nicer person has never breathed.
3. To pause to rest or regain breath: Give me a moment to breathe.
4. To move or blow gently: A soft wind breathes through the pines.
5. To allow air to pass through: a natural fabric that breathes.
6. To be exhaled or emanated, as a fragrance.
7. To be manifested or suggested, as an idea or feeling: A sense of hope breathes from these poems.
8. To reach fullness of flavor and aroma through exposure to air. Used chiefly of wine.
v.tr.
Idioms: 1.
a. To inhale and exhale (air or a gas such as oxygen) during respiration.
b. To inhale (an aroma, for example): breathe the lush scent of lilacs.
c. To exhale or blow out: The dragon breathed fire on the village.
d. To take in or exchange (air or gases): Plants breathe carbon dioxide.
2. To impart or instill: an artist who knows how to breathe life into a portrait.
3. To utter, especially quietly: Don't breathe a word of this.
4. To make apparent or manifest; suggest: Their manner breathed self-satisfaction.
5. To allow (a person or animal) to rest or regain breath.
6. Linguistics To utter with a voiceless exhalation of air.
7. To draw in (air) for combustion.
breathe down (someone's) neck
1. To threaten by proximity, especially by pursuing closely.
2. To watch or monitor closely, often annoyingly: The boss was breathing down my neck all morning.
breathe easily/easy/freely
To be relaxed or relieved, especially after a period of tension.
breathe (one's) last
To die.
[Middle English brethen, from breth, breath; see breath.]
Our Living Language The euphemistic expression breathe one's last illustrates the phenomenon of taboo avoidance. Concepts that few people like to talk about, such as death, are often expressed by circumlocutions or other substitutions for the word that directly expresses the concept (in this case, the verb to die). It is interesting to compare how two different styles of language, formal and slang, avoid saying "die." More formal or elevated speech is full of euphemistic expressions such as breathe one's last, pass away, depart, expire, go to one's eternal reward, go the way of all flesh, and go to a better place. Many of these expressions try to cast death in a positive light, often with religious overtones. Die is absent in slang for the same taboo-avoidance reasons; in addition, slang usually involves coming up with novel expressions for old concepts. The result is a raft of irreverent expressions that are much more direct than the elevated ones—but not so direct as to actually say "die." These expressions often concentrate on a particular physical aspect of dying, lending them an unusually vivid quality: croak, bite the dust, go belly up, kick the bucket, cash in one's chips.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
breathe
(briːð)vb
1. (Physiology) to take in oxygen from (the surrounding medium, esp air) and give out carbon dioxide; respire
2. (intr) to exist; be alive: every animal that breathes on earth.
3. (intr) to rest to regain breath, composure, etc: stop your questions, and give me a chance to breathe.
4. (intr) (esp of air) to blow lightly: the wind breathed through the trees.
5. (Mechanical Engineering) (intr) machinery
a. to take in air, esp for combustion: the engine breathes through this air filter.
b. to equalize the pressure within a container, chamber, etc, with atmospheric pressure: the crankcase breathes through this duct.
6. (Phonetics & Phonology) (tr) phonetics to articulate (a speech sound) without vibration of the vocal cords. Compare voice20
7. to exhale or emit: the dragon breathed fire.
8. (tr) to impart; instil: to breathe confidence into the actors.
9. (tr) to speak softly; whisper: to breathe words of love.
10. (tr) to permit to rest: to breathe a horse.
11. (Textiles) (intr) (of a material) to allow air to pass through so that perspiration can evaporate
12. breathe again breathe freely breathe easily to feel relief: I could breathe again after passing the exam.
13. breathe down someone's neck to stay close to someone, esp to oversee what they are doing: the cops are breathing down my neck.
14. breathe one's last to die or be finished or defeated
[C13: from breath]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
breathe
(brið)v. breathed (brētd), breath•ing. v.i.
1. to take air, oxygen, etc., into the lungs and expel it; inhale and exhale; respire.
2. to pause, as for breath; rest.
3. to move or blow gently, as air.
4. to live; exist.
5. to be redolent of.
6. (of a material) to allow air and moisture to pass through easily.
7. (of the skin) to absorb oxygen and give off perspiration.
8. (of a wine) to be exposed to air after being uncorked, in order to develop flavor and bouquet.
v.t. 9. to inhale and exhale in respiration.
10. to exhale: breathing fire.
11. to inject as if by breathing; infuse: to breathe life into a party.
12. to give utterance to; whisper: Don't breathe a word of it.
13. to express; manifest.
14. to allow to rest or recover breath: to breathe a horse.
15. to deprive of breath, as by exercise; tire.
Idioms: 1. breathe down someone's neck,
a. to follow someone closely in pursuit.
b. to watch someone closely so as to supervise or control.
2. breathe freely, to have relief from anxiety, tension, or pressure. Also, breathe easily, breathe easy.
[1250–1300; Middle English brethen, derivative of breath]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
breathe
– breath1. 'breathe'
Breathe /briːð/ is a verb. When people or animals breathe, they take air into their lungs and let it out again.
It was difficult for him to breathe.
Always breathe through your nose.
2. 'breath'
Breath /breθ/ is a noun. Your breath is the air that you take into your lungs and let out again when you breathe.
She took a deep breath, then started to explain.
I could smell the coffee on his breath.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
breathe
Past participle: breathed
Gerund: breathing
| Imperative |
|---|
| breathe |
| breathe |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. | breathe - draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs; "I can breathe better when the air is clean"; "The patient is respiring" respire - undergo the biomedical and metabolic processes of respiration by taking up oxygen and producing carbon monoxide respire - breathe easily again, as after exertion or anxiety choke - breathe with great difficulty, as when experiencing a strong emotion; "She choked with emotion when she spoke about her deceased husband" hyperventilate - breathe excessively hard and fast; "The mountain climber started to hyperventilate" hiccough, hiccup - breathe spasmodically, and make a sound; "When you have to hiccup, drink a glass of cold water" breathe in, inhale, inspire - draw in (air); "Inhale deeply"; "inhale the fresh mountain air"; "The patient has trouble inspiring"; "The lung cancer patient cannot inspire air very well" wheeze - breathe with difficulty yawn - utter a yawn, as from lack of oxygen or when one is tired; "The child yawned during the long performance" saw logs, saw wood, snore - breathe noisily during one's sleep; "she complained that her husband snores" breathe in, inhale, inspire - draw in (air); "Inhale deeply"; "inhale the fresh mountain air"; "The patient has trouble inspiring"; "The lung cancer patient cannot inspire air very well" |
| 2. | breathe - be alive; "Every creature that breathes" | |
| 3. | breathe - impart as if by breathing; "He breathed new life into the old house" | |
| 4. | breathe - allow the passage of air through; "Our new synthetic fabric breathes and is perfect for summer wear" be - have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer" | |
| 5. | breathe - utter or tell; "not breathe a word" give tongue to, utter, express, verbalise, verbalize - articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise; "She expressed her anger"; "He uttered a curse" | |
| 6. | breathe - manifest or evince; "She breathes the Christian spirit" convey - make known; pass on, of information; "She conveyed the message to me" | |
| 7. | breathe - take a short break from one's activities in order to relax | |
| 8. | breathe - reach full flavor by absorbing air and being let to stand after having been uncorked; "This rare Bordeaux must be allowed to breathe for at least 2 hours" | |
| 9. | breathe - expel (gases or odors) belch, burp, eruct, bubble - expel gas from the stomach; "In China it is polite to burp at the table" force out - emit or cause to move with force of effort; "force out the air"; "force out the splinter" eject, expel, release, exhaust, discharge - eliminate (a substance); "combustion products are exhausted in the engine"; "the plant releases a gas" radiate - send out real or metaphoric rays; "She radiates happiness" bubble - form, produce, or emit bubbles; "The soup was bubbling" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
breathe
verb
1. inhale and exhale, pant, gasp, puff, gulp, wheeze, respire, draw in breath Always breathe through your nose.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
breathe
verb1. To breathe in and out:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
تنفسيتفوه بكلمه، ينبسيَتَنَفَّسيتنفس
dýchatvyzradit
ånderøbe
hengittääkuiskataolla hengissä
לנשום
disati
egy szót se róla!lélegzik
bernafas
andasegja frá
息をする生きるささやく一息つく吐く
숨을 쉬다
atokvėpio valandėlėatsikvėptikvėpuotiprasitarti
atklātatviegloti nopūstieselpotizdvest
dihativdihniti
andas
หายใจ
nefes almaksolumaksöylemek
thở
breathe
[briːð]A. VT
B. VI
1. [person, animal] → respirar; (noisily) → resollar
now we can breathe again (fig) → ahora podemos respirar tranquilos
see also neck A1
now we can breathe again (fig) → ahora podemos respirar tranquilos
see also neck A1
2. [wine] → respirar
3. [fabric, garment] → transpirar, dejar pasar el aire
breathe in VT + ADV & VI + ADV → aspirar
breathe out
A. VT + ADV → exhalar
B. VI + ADV → espirar
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
breathe
[ˈbriːð] vi → respirer
vt
(= say quietly) → murmurer
[+ word] → souffler
I won't breathe a word about it → Je n'en soufflerai pas mot., Je n'en dirai rien à personne.
I won't breathe a word about it → Je n'en soufflerai pas mot., Je n'en dirai rien à personne.
to breathe life into sth → donner vie à qch
breathe in
vi → inspirer
vi → expirer
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
breathe
vi (person, fabric, garment) → atmen; (inf: = rest) → verschnaufen, Luft holen or schöpfen; (liter, = live) → leben; now we can breathe again → jetzt können wir wieder frei atmen; (= have more space) → jetzt haben wir wieder Luft; to breathe down somebody’s neck → jdm die Hölle heißmachen (inf); I don’t want him breathing down my neck → ich will nicht, dass er mir die Hölle heißmacht (inf); red wine should be allowed to breathe before drinking → Rotwein muss atmen, bevor man ihn trinkt
vt
air → einatmen; to breathe one’s last → seinen letzten Atemzug tun; to breathe the air of one’s own country again → wieder auf heimatlichem Boden sein or stehen
(= exhale) → atmen (→ into in +acc); he breathed alcohol all over me → er hatte eine solche Fahne; he breathed garlic all over me → er verströmte einen solchen Knoblauchgeruch; to breathe fire → Feuer spucken; he breathed new life into the firm → er brachte neues Leben in die Firma
(= utter) prayer → flüstern, hauchen; to breathe a sigh of relief → erleichtert aufatmen; don’t breathe a word of it! → sag kein Sterbenswörtchen darüber!
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
breathe
[briːð]1. vt (air) → respirare; (sigh) → tirare
he breathed garlic all over me → mi ha soffiato addosso il suo alito puzzolente d'aglio
I won't breathe a word about it → non fiaterò
to breathe new life into sb/sth (fig) → ridar vita a qn/qc
he breathed garlic all over me → mi ha soffiato addosso il suo alito puzzolente d'aglio
I won't breathe a word about it → non fiaterò
to breathe new life into sb/sth (fig) → ridar vita a qn/qc
2. vi → respirare
to breathe heavily → ansimare, avere il fiato grosso
now we can breathe again (fig) → adesso possiamo riprendere fiato
to breathe heavily → ansimare, avere il fiato grosso
now we can breathe again (fig) → adesso possiamo riprendere fiato
breathe in
1. vi + adv → inspirare
2. vt + adv → respirare
breathe out vt + adv & vi + adv → espirare
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
breathe
(briːð) verb1. to draw in and let out (air etc) from the lungs. He was unable to breathe because of the smoke; She breathed a sigh of relief.
2. to tell (a secret). Don't breathe a word of this to anyone.
ˈbreather noun a short rest or break from work etc. I must have a breather before I do any more.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
breathe
→ يَتَنَفَّس dýchat ånde atmen αναπνέω respirar hengittää respirer disati respirare 息をする 숨을 쉬다 ademen puste odetchnąć respirar дышать andas หายใจ nefes almak thở 呼吸Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
breathe
vt. respirar; [to exhale] exhalar; [to inhale] aspirar;
to ___ through the mouth → ___ por la boca;
to ___ through the nose → ___ por la nariz.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
Collins Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
breathe
vt, vi respirar; Breathe quietly while I listen to your heart.. Respire suavemente mientras le escucho el corazón; to — in inspirar (form), inhalar (form), respirar (fam), tomar aire (fam); Breathe in..Respire..Tome aire; to — out espirar (form), exhalar (form), sacar aire (esp. Mex, CA; fam), botar aire (esp. Carib, SA; fam)English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.