breathed; breathing
1
2
: to blow softly
3
: live
4
: to pause and rest before continuing
5
: to feel free of restraint
needs room to breathe
6
a
: to permit passage of air or vapor
a fabric that breathes
b
of an internal combustion engine
: to use air to support combustion
c
: to be cooled or dried by air that passes by or through
clothing that allows your skin to breathe
7
of wine
: to develop flavor and bouquet by exposure to air
8
a
: to become perceptible : be expressed
a personality that breathes and that distinguishes his work—
Bennett Schiff
Bennett Schiff1
: to inhale and exhale
breathe air
2
a
: to send out by exhaling
b
: to instill by or as if by breathing
breathe new life into the movement
3
: to take in in breathing
breathe the scent of pines
4
5
: to give rest from exertion to
6
: to spend a great deal of time, thought, or effort on (something) : to be wholly devoted to (some interest or activity)
The Virginia native may not breathe basketball 24-7 … but during games and practice, his focus is second to none.—Robbi Pickeral
Robbi PickeralAs with visiting companies, one of the key reasons for going to conferences is to avoid the tunnel vision that can overcome managers who live and breathe their business.—Leslie Brokaw
Leslie Brokaw
Examples of breathe in a Sentence
No one was more grief-stricken by Lincoln's assassination than Stanton, who spoke the imperishable words as the president breathed his last: "Now he belongs to the ages."
—James M. McPherson, New York Times Book Review, 6 Nov. 2005
… The tinder burned all right, but that was as far as I got. I blew on it, I breathed on it, I cupped it in my hands, but no sooner did I add twigs than the whole thing went black.
—Jean Craighead George, My Side of the Mountain, (1959) 2001
However, liquid nitrogen is not used for higher levels of fog because breathing this substance is unsafe. Dry ice is a safer material, and can be used either at ground level or higher.
—Patricia D. Netzley, Encylopedia Of Movie Special Effects, 2000
Earth is surrounded by a life-giving gaseous envelope called the atmosphere. This thin blanket of air is an integral part of the planet. It not only provides the air that we breathe but also acts to protect us from the dangerous radiation emitted by the Sun.
—Frederick K. Lutgens et al., The Atmosphere, 1979/2001
He was breathing hard from running.
The patient suddenly stopped breathing.
I can hardly breathe with all this smoke.
He wants to live where he can breathe clean air.
a dragon that breathes fire
People usually contract the virus by breathing contaminated air.
Breathe deeply and then exhale.
I'll never give up as long as I'm still breathing.
a living, breathing human being
James M. McPherson, New York Times Book Review, 6 Nov. 2005
… The tinder burned all right, but that was as far as I got. I blew on it, I breathed on it, I cupped it in my hands, but no sooner did I add twigs than the whole thing went black.
—Jean Craighead George, My Side of the Mountain, (1959) 2001
However, liquid nitrogen is not used for higher levels of fog because breathing this substance is unsafe. Dry ice is a safer material, and can be used either at ground level or higher.
—Patricia D. Netzley, Encylopedia Of Movie Special Effects, 2000
Earth is surrounded by a life-giving gaseous envelope called the atmosphere. This thin blanket of air is an integral part of the planet. It not only provides the air that we breathe but also acts to protect us from the dangerous radiation emitted by the Sun.
—Frederick K. Lutgens et al., The Atmosphere, 1979/2001
He was breathing hard from running.
The patient suddenly stopped breathing.
I can hardly breathe with all this smoke.
He wants to live where he can breathe clean air.
a dragon that breathes fire
People usually contract the virus by breathing contaminated air.
Breathe deeply and then exhale.
I'll never give up as long as I'm still breathing.
a living, breathing human being
Recent Examples on the Web
My role, as the actor, is to breathe life into the character.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2024
In April, her office charged three Alameda police officers with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Mario Gonzalez, who stopped breathing as the officers piled on top of him while trying to make an arrest.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
Maske had a large amount of blood on his neck and chest and was not breathing.
—Tim Speier, Twin Cities, 5 Nov. 2024
Roll down the windows and breathe in the brisk, salty air.
—Tim Zientek, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for breathe 
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James Grebey, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2024
In April, her office charged three Alameda police officers with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Mario Gonzalez, who stopped breathing as the officers piled on top of him while trying to make an arrest.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
Maske had a large amount of blood on his neck and chest and was not breathing.
—Tim Speier, Twin Cities, 5 Nov. 2024
Roll down the windows and breathe in the brisk, salty air.
—Tim Zientek, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for breathe
Articles Related to breathe
Dictionary Entries Near breathe
Cite this Entry
“Breathe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breathe. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
breathe
verb
breathed; breathing
1
: to draw air into and expel it from the lungs
3
: to blow softly
4
: to send out by exhaling
breathe a sigh of relief
5
: to bring by or as if by breathing
breathe new life into the movement
6
: to say quietly or softly
don't breathe a word to anybody
7
: to allow to rest after hard work
breathe a horse
8
: to take in in breathing
breathe the scent of roses
9
: to allow air or moisture to pass through
a fabric that breathes
breathable
adjective
ˈbrē-t͟hə-bəl
Medical Definition
breathe
verb
breathed; breathing
1
: to draw air into and expel it from the lungs : respire
broadly
: to take in oxygen and give out carbon dioxide through natural processes
2
: to inhale and exhale freely
: to inhale and exhale
breathing fresh air
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