English Explanatory Dictionary

breathe

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb

To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases.
To take in needed gases and expel waste gases in a similar way.
To inhale (a gas) to sustain life.
To live.
To draw something into the lungs.
To expel air from the lungs, exhale.
To exhale or expel (something) in the manner of breath.
To give an impression of, to exude.
To whisper quietly.
To pass like breath; noiselessly or gently; to emanate; to blow gently.
To inspire (scripture).
To exchange gases with the environment.

Pronunciation

brēth /bɹiːð/ /bɹið/ En-us-breathe.ogg

Word forms

breathe breathes breathing breathed no-table-tags glossary breathest breathedst breatheth

Etymology

From Middle English brethen (“to breathe, blow, exhale, odour”), derived from Middle English breth (“breath”). Eclipsed Middle English ethien and orðiæn, from Old English ēþian and orþian (“to breathe”); as well as Middle English anden, onden, from Old Norse anda (“to breathe”). More at breath.

Synonyms

Antonyms

asphyxiate choke hold one's breath suffocate

Related words

breath exhalation inhalation respiration breathable breathability as I live and breathe bad breath breathe easy breathe down someone's neck breathe a sigh of relief breathe a word catch one's breath don't hold your breath draw one's last breath eat and sleep in the same breath out of breath pause for breath save one's breath shortness of breath stop for breath take one's breath away under one's breath waste breath with bated breath

Derived words

airbreathing as I live and breathe breathable breathe again breathe a sigh of relief breathe a word breathe back to life breathe down someone's neck breathe easy breathe freely breathe in breathe new life into breathe one's last breathe one's last breath breathe out breather breathe upon breathing gas breathingly breathing room breathing space breathing spell buddy breathe bum-breathing embreathe fire-breathing imbreathe inbreathe misbreathe mouth-breathe nonbreathing outbreathe overbreathe overbreathed rebreathe stagger breathe unbreathed unbreathing underbreathe upbreathe

This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.

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