breathe
gb/bɹˈið/ us/bɹˈið/
A1
English
~ 2500
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A1
action
1
Take air in and out
To take air into your body through your nose or mouth and let it out again.
Usage pattern:
to breathe [air/smoke]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'breathe' (verb) with 'breath' (noun). 'Breathe' is an action; 'breath' is the air taken in or out.
Synonyms
inhale (Focuses specifically on taking air in, not the full breathing cycle.)
|
respire (More technical or scientific term for breathing.)
Antonyms
suffocate (Means to be unable to breathe, leading to danger or death.)
Collocations
breathe deeply
|breathe heavily
|breathe fresh air
|breathe through the nose
Themes
daily life
|health
|science
|body
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- After running up the hill, she had to stop to breathe.
- It was so smoky that he could barely breathe.
- Take a moment to breathe deeply and relax.
- The doctor listened to him breathe through a stethoscope.
Learner examples
- I breathe through my nose.
- She breathes slowly when she sleeps.
- We need air to breathe.
- He can't breathe in the small room.
Verb
B1
action
2
Pause to relax or recover
To stop for a short time to rest or feel better after work or stress.
Usage pattern:
to breathe for [a moment/minute]
Synonyms
rest (More general; can be longer and not necessarily related to breathing.)
Antonyms
strain (To continue physical or mental effort without rest.)
Collocations
breathe for a moment
|hardly breathe
|barely breathe
Themes
daily life
|emotions
|health
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Let’s sit down and breathe for a minute before we go on.
- She barely had time to breathe between meetings.
- After the speech, he finally breathed and smiled.
Learner examples
- I need to breathe after running.
- She did not have time to breathe today.
- We stopped to breathe before walking again.
Verb
B2
action
3
Let air pass through
If something breathes, air can move in and out of it.
Usage pattern:
[material] breathes well
Synonyms
ventilate (Often used for buildings or rooms; more formal/technical.)
Antonyms
seal (To close completely so that air cannot pass through.)
Collocations
fabric breathes
|material breathes well
Themes
science
|daily life
|housing
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Cotton clothing breathes better than polyester.
- This tent fabric breathes, keeping you cool inside.
- Leather shoes don't breathe as much as canvas ones.
Learner examples
- My shirt breathes in hot weather.
- This cloth does not breathe well.
- The tent breathes so we are not too hot.
Verb
B2
action
4
Speak very quietly
To speak very quietly so that it is almost like a whisper.
Usage pattern:
to breathe [words]
Synonyms
whisper (Similar but may imply secrecy or intimacy more strongly.)
Antonyms
shout (To speak very loudly, opposite of speaking softly.)
Collocations
breathe a word
|breathe softly
Themes
communication
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She breathed his name into the phone.
- 'Don't go,' he breathed softly.
- He breathed a few words before leaving.
Learner examples
- She breathed his name.
- He breathed, 'I am here.'
- The girl breathed the words quietly.
Verb
C1
action
5
Show strong quality or feeling
To seem full of a feeling or quality.
Usage pattern:
to breathe [quality]
Synonyms
exude (Stronger connotation of deliberately showing a quality.)
Collocations
breathe confidence
|breathe life into
Themes
emotions
|communication
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The room breathed peace and comfort.
- Her speech breathed hope into the audience.
- The design breathes elegance and simplicity.
Learner examples
- The house breathes warmth.
- His words breathe hope.
- This place breathes beauty.
Grammar
Dictionary form
breathe
IPA
GB/bɹˈið/
US/bɹˈið/
Syllables & stress
breathe (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (breathe)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: breathe
- 3rd Person Singular: breathes
- Present Participle: breathing
- Past: breathed
Word family
Forms
breathes
verb
breathing
verb
breathed
verb
Core family
breath
noun A2
Related words
breathable
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
breathless
adjective B1
unbreathable
adjective
Advanced or less common
breathlessness
noun
breathlessly
adverb
Expressions
breathe a sigh of relief
1/bɹˈið ə sˈaɪ əv ɹɪlˈif/
idiom
Exhale after stress ends
To let out a long breath when you feel safe again after being worried or afraid.
Examples
- They all breathed a sigh of relief when the missing child was found.
- I breathed a sigh of relief after hearing I passed the exam.
breathe deeply
1/bɹˈið dˈipli/
fixed phrase
Take slow, full breaths
To take slow, long breaths of air into your lungs and let them out fully.
Examples
- Breathe deeply to calm yourself before the test.
- She closed her eyes and breathed deeply of the fresh mountain air.
breathe new life into [something]
1/bɹˈið njˈu lˈaɪf ˈɪntu sˈʌmθɪŋ/
idiom
Revitalize with energy or ideas
To make something more lively, interesting, or successful again by giving it energy or new ideas.
Examples
- The manager hopes the new project will breathe new life into the company.
- A fresh coat of paint breathed new life into the old house.
don't breathe a word (to someone)
1/dˈoʊnt bɹˈið ə wˈɚd tə sˈʌmwˌʌn/
idiom
informal
Keep information secret
To not tell anyone about something that is secret.
Examples
- Don't breathe a word about the surprise party.
- She promised not to breathe a word of what she had seen.
take your breath away
1/tˈeɪk jˈʊɹ bɹˈɛθ əwˈeɪ/
idiom
Cause amazement or shock
To greatly surprise or impress someone so much that they feel like they stop breathing for a moment.
Examples
- The view from the mountain will take your breath away.
- Her beauty took my breath away.