1
a
: air filled with a fragrance or odor
b
: a slight indication : suggestion
the faintest breath of scandal
2
3
: a slight breeze
4
a
: air inhaled and exhaled in breathing
bad breath
b
: something (such as moisture on a cold surface) produced by breath or breathing
c
5
: a spoken sound : utterance
Examples of breath in a Sentence
When Oscar Wilde allegedly gestured at the garish wallpaper in his cheap Parisian hotel room and announced with his dying breath, "Either it goes or I go," he was exhibiting something beyond an irrepressibly brilliant wit.
—
Tom Robbins, Harper's, September 2004
I ski as far as I can and stop (in these relatively low-altitude coastal mountains, you don't stop for breath the way you sometimes do in Colorado; here you stop when your legs demand a break) …
—Lito Tejada-Flores, Skiing, February 1999
gum that freshens your breath
It's so cold outside that I can see my breath.
My mad dash for the bus left me gasping for breath.
I took a long breath before speaking again.
Tom Robbins, Harper's, September 2004
I ski as far as I can and stop (in these relatively low-altitude coastal mountains, you don't stop for breath the way you sometimes do in Colorado; here you stop when your legs demand a break) …
—Lito Tejada-Flores, Skiing, February 1999
gum that freshens your breath
It's so cold outside that I can see my breath.
My mad dash for the bus left me gasping for breath.
I took a long breath before speaking again.
Recent Examples on the Web
But when compared to last year’s unreliable defense that failed to close out numerous close games, much less help accelerate blowouts, what the unit is doing this year is a breath of fresh air in Boulder.
—Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
He’s been on oxygen for more than a decade and quickly gets short of breath.
—Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 13 Nov. 2024
The police report, obtained by WJAR, states that officers smelled an overwhelming odor of alcohol on Nunez's breath.
—Stepheny Price, Fox News, 1 Nov. 2024
Common symptoms include: Cough Fatigue Fever and chills Shortness of breath
Read more Election day
COVID Cases Update: Map Reveals Return of 'Very High' Water Virus Levels
Map Shows States Where Weight Loss Drugs are Most Popular
Stressed Out?
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for breath 
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Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
He’s been on oxygen for more than a decade and quickly gets short of breath.
—Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 13 Nov. 2024
The police report, obtained by WJAR, states that officers smelled an overwhelming odor of alcohol on Nunez's breath.
—Stepheny Price, Fox News, 1 Nov. 2024
Common symptoms include: Cough Fatigue Fever and chills Shortness of breath
Read more Election day
COVID Cases Update: Map Reveals Return of 'Very High' Water Virus Levels
Map Shows States Where Weight Loss Drugs are Most Popular
Stressed Out?
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for breath
Articles Related to breath
Dictionary Entries Near breath
Cite this Entry
“Breath.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breath. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
breath
noun1
a
: air filled with a fragrance or odor
b
: a slight indication : suggestion
a faint breath of scandal
2
3
: a slight breeze
4
a
: air inhaled and exhaled in breathing
b
: something (as moisture on a cold surface) produced by breathing
5
: a spoken sound
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