breathe

verb
UK: /briːð/
US: /briːð/

  1. To take air into your lungs and let it out.

    1. I breathe in and breathe out slowly to relax myself. [ ] [ ]
    2. It's important to breathe deeply when you are feeling stressed or anxious. [ ] [ ]

  2. To say something quietly or softly.

    1. She didn't shout, she just breathed a word. [ ] [ ]
    2. He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the good news about the project. [ ] [ ]

  3. To allow air to reach something.

    1. Leave the wine to breathe for a while before serving. [ ] [ ]
    2. These shoes need to breathe a bit after a long day of walking around the city. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

inhale exhale respire gasp sigh whisper
breathe noun

  1. The air that is taken into or sent out of your lungs.

    1. Take a deep breathe! [ ] [ ]
    2. She took a calming breathe before beginning her presentation to the board. [ ] [ ]
breathe phrasal-verb

  1. Breathe something into something: To bring new life or energy into something.

    1. The new coach breathed life into the team. [ ] [ ]
    2. The entrepreneur breathed fresh ideas into the struggling family business. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "breathe" in English means: To take air into your lungs and let it out., To say something quietly or softly., To allow air to reach something..

The phonetic transcription of "breathe" is /briːð/ in British English and /briːð/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "breathe": inhale, exhale, respire, gasp, sigh, whisper.

Example usage of "breathe": "I breathe in and breathe out slowly to relax myself.". More examples on the page.