breathe

[[t]bri͟ːð[/t]]

♦♦♦

breathes, breathing, breathed

1) VERB When people or animals breathe, they take air into their lungs and let it out again. When they breathe smoke or a particular kind of air, they take it into their lungs and let it out again as they breathe.

He stood there breathing deeply and evenly...

Always breathe through your nose...

[V n] No American should have to drive out of town to breathe clean air...

[V n with in/out] A thirteen year old girl is being treated after breathing in smoke.

Syn:

respire

Derived words:

breathing N-UNCOUNT usu with supp

Her breathing became slow and heavy...

He heard only deep breathing.

2) VERB If someone breathes something, they say it very quietly. [LITERARY]

[V with quote] `You don't understand,' he breathed. [Also V n]

3) VERB: with brd-neg, no cont If you do not breathe a word about something, you say nothing about it, because it is a secret.

[V n] He never breathed a word about our conversation.

4) VERB If someone breathes life, confidence, or excitement into something, they improve it by adding this quality. [WRITTEN]

[V n into n] It is the readers who breathe life into a newspaper with their letters.

Syn:

instil

5) VERB If you let wine breathe, you open the bottle to allow the air to get in and improve its flavour before you drink it.

Red wines should be allowed to `breathe' if possible before drinking.

6) PHRASE: V inflects When someone breathes their last, they die. [LITERARY]

7) to be breathing down someone's neck → see neck

to breathe a sigh of relief → see sigh

Phrasal Verbs:

- breathe in

- breathe out