breath

UK /bɹɛθ/ US /bɹɛθ/

noun 5adj 1verb 1

Definitions

noun

The act or process of breathing.

I could hear the breath of the runner behind me.

The child's breath came quickly and unevenly.

A single act of breathing in or out; a breathing of air.

I took a deep breath and started the test.

Serene, smiling, enigmatic, she faced him with no fear whatever showing in her dark eyes.[…]She put back a truant curl from her forehead where it had sought egress to the world, and looked him full in the face now, drawing a deep breath which caused the round of her bosom to lift the lace at her throat.

Air expelled from the lungs.

I could feel the runner's breath on my shoulder.

A rest or pause.

Let's stop for a breath when we get to the top of the hill.

A small amount of something, such as wind, or common sense.

Even with all the windows open, there is hardly a breath of air in here.

If she had a breath of common sense, she would never have spoken to the man in the first place.

adj

voiceless, surd; contrasting with voice (breath sounds, voice sounds)

verb

Misspelling of breathe.

In the polar regions one finds dark cold waters with few places to breath.

Collocations

(noun.)

ADJ

big, deep, long, slow

quick, shallow, short

bad

After eating garlic, he worried that he had bad breath before his job interview.

VERB + BREATH

draw (in), suck in, take

When you feel anxious before a test, try to take a deep breath and calm your mind.

let out

When she heard the good news, she let out a breath of relief.

hold

When I jumped into the cold pool, I had to hold my breath for almost a minute.

get back

After climbing the stairs, she sat down to get her breath back.

catch

She caught her breath after running up the long flight of stairs to the office.

gasp for

After running up the stairs, she was gasping for breath and had to sit down.

pause for

After running up the stairs, he had to pause for breath before answering the door.

save

Don't bother explaining the rules to him; just save your breath.

waste

I won't waste my breath trying to explain it to him again since he never changes his mind.

BREATH + VERB

come in gasps/pants/puffs

After climbing the stairs quickly, her breath came in quick pants.

PREP

on sb's ~

The doctor detected alcohol on the patient's breath during the medical examination.

out of ~

She was panting and out of breath when she reached the top of the stairs.

under your ~

She muttered complaints about the long meeting under her breath while walking back to her desk.

~ of

There wasn't a breath of air in the crowded bus during rush hour.

PHRASES

a breath of fresh air

After months of working indoors, the vacation felt like a breath of fresh air.

an intake of breath

There was a sudden intake of breath when the doctor revealed the test results.

in the same breath

She said she wanted to help the poor while supporting tax cuts in the same breath.

short of breath

After climbing the stairs quickly, she was short of breath and needed to rest.

take sb's breath away

Her beautiful wedding dress took everyone's breath away when she walked down the aisle.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — an indirect suggestion

noun — a short respite

breather

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

don't hold your breath

Don't wait. Said cynically to suggest that what has just been mentioned is unlikely to happen soon or at all.

- The government says it's going to introduce free meals for all schoolchildren. - Huh, don't hold your breath.

hold one's breath

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see hold, one's, breath. To keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling.

breath of fresh air

Something relieving, refreshing, or new.

After all those old policies and procedures, the new management approach is a breath of fresh air around here.

with bated breath

With reduced breath.

Shall I bend low, and in a bond-mans key / With bated breath, and whiſpring humbleneſſe, / Say this:

waste breath

To speak in a manner which is needless or futile; in discussion or argument to make points which are not appreciated or heeded.

Middleton and Paul saw no use in wasting their breath in remonstrances against this proposal.

Example Bank

I could hear the breath of the runner behind me.

Wiktionary

The child's breath came quickly and unevenly.

Wiktionary

Breezes blowing from beds of iris quickened her breath with their perfume; she saw the tufted lilacs sway in the wind, and the streamers of mauve-tinted wistaria swinging, all a-glisten with golden be

Wiktionary

In the polar regions one finds dark cold waters with few places to breath.

Wiktionary

You have foul breath.

Tatoeba · #15928

In this harsh, petty world where money does the talking, his way of life is like a breath of fresh air.

Tatoeba · #18627

Usage Notes

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