Dictionary / breathe
breathe
- verb
- from Middle English
To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases.
1 All current definitions
Every sense of “breathe” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.
verb
- intransitiveTo draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases.
- intransitiveTo take in needed gases and expel waste gases in a similar way.
Fish have gills so they can breathe underwater.
- transitiveTo inhale (a gas) to sustain life.
While life as we know it depends on oxygen, scientists have speculated that alien life forms might breathe chlorine or methane.
- figurativelyintransitiveTo live.
I will not allow it, as long as I still breathe.
- transitiveTo draw something into the lungs.
Try not to breathe too much smoke.
- intransitiveTo expel air from the lungs, exhale.
If you breathe on a mirror, it will fog up.
- transitiveTo exhale or expel (something) in the manner of breath.
The flowers breathed a heady perfume.
- transitiveTo give an impression of, to exude.
The decor positively breathes classical elegance.
- transitiveTo whisper quietly.
He breathed the words into her ear, but she understood them all.
- To pass like breath; noiselessly or gently; to emanate; to blow gently.
The wind breathes through the trees.
- To inspire (scripture).
The affirmation before us, then, will be, "All scripture is divinely breathed."1850, John Howard Hinton, On the Divine Inspiration of the Scriptures. A lecture, etc, page 16:
- intransitiveTo exchange gases with the environment.
Uncork the wine and leave it on the table for a few minutes to allow it to breathe.
- intransitiveOf a material etc., to allow gases to pass through.
Garments made of certain new materials breathe well and keep the skin relatively dry during exercise.
- transitiveTo stop, to give (a horse) an opportunity to catch its breath.
At higher altitudes you need to breathe your horse more often.
- transitiveTo exercise; to tire by brisk exercise.
- figurativelytransitiveTo passionately devote much of one's life to (an activity, etc.).
―Do you like hiking? ―Are you kidding? I breathe hiking.
Older & obsolete senses (1)
- archaicintransitiveTo rest; to stop and catch one's breath.
Cross-check: WordNet senses (9)
- verbdraw air into, and expel out of, the lungs — also: take a breath, respire, suspire
- verbbe alive
- verbimpart as if by breathing
- verballow the passage of air through
- verbutter or tell
- verbmanifest or evince
- verbtake a short break from one's activities in order to relax — also: rest, catch one's breath, take a breather
- verbreach full flavor by absorbing air and being let to stand after having been uncorked
- verbexpel (gases or odors) — also: emit, pass off
Synonyms: respire, live and breathe, breathe, draw breath, inbreathe, spire, suspire
Antonyms: asphyxiate, choke, hold one's breath, suffocate
2 History of the word
The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)breathe
- Middle Englishbrethen “to breathe, blow, exhale, odour”
- Middle Englishbreth “breath”
From Middle English brethen (“to breathe, blow, exhale, odour”), derived from Middle English breth (“breath”). Eclipsed Middle English ethien and orðiæn, from Old English ēþian and orþian (“to breathe”); as well as Middle English anden, onden, from Old Norse anda (“to breathe”). More at breath.
Derivatives — words built from “breathe”
Phrases & compounds
Related terms
Want to go deeper? See also “breathe” on Etymonline ↗
3 Original language
Where “breathe” came from before it was English.
4 Original meaning
What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.
Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913
A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.
breathe v. i. [From Breath.]
- To respire; to inhale and exhale air; hence;, to live.
- To take breath; to rest from action.
- To pass like breath; noiselessly or gently; to exhale; to emanate; to blow gently.
breathe v. t.
- To inhale and exhale in the process of respiration; to respire.
- To inject by breathing; to infuse; -- with into.
- To emit or utter by the breath; to utter softly; to whisper; as, to breathe a vow.
- To exhale; to emit, as breath; as, the flowers breathe odors or perfumes.
5 Use it with confidence
Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.
verbMeaning: To take in needed gases and expel waste gases in a similar way.
Fish have gills so they can breathe underwater.
verbMeaning: To inhale (a gas) to sustain life.
While life as we know it depends on oxygen, scientists have speculated that alien life forms might breathe chlorine or methane.
verbMeaning: To live.
I will not allow it, as long as I still breathe.
I am in health, I breathe.1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Cop
verbMeaning: To draw something into the lungs.
Try not to breathe too much smoke.
verbMeaning: To expel air from the lungs, exhale.
If you breathe on a mirror, it will fog up.
verbMeaning: To exhale or expel (something) in the manner of breath.
The flowers breathed a heady perfume.
Mountain Drakes breathe fire, Ice Drakes breathe ice, Swamp Drakes breathe acid, and Forest Drakes breathe lightning.2012, Timothy Groves, The Book Of Creatures, →ISBN, page 85:
verbMeaning: draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs
I can breathe better when the air is clean
verbMeaning: be alive
Every creature that breathes
verbMeaning: impart as if by breathing
He breathed new life into the old house
verbMeaning: allow the passage of air through
Our new synthetic fabric breathes and is perfect for summer wear
Three steps to owning it
- Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
- Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
- Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?
6 The mastery game
Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.
Say it, then spell it
breathe
/bɹiːð/
Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.
Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________
breathe
/bɹiːð/ · verb
Step 1 — Say it and write it
Say “breathe” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.
Step 2 — Know every meaning
Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.
Step 3 — Which meaning is it?
“Fish have gills so they can breathe underwater.”
Circle the meaning used.
“While life as we know it depends on oxygen, scientists have speculated that alien life forms might breathe chlorine or methane.”
Circle the meaning used.
“I will not allow it, as long as I still breathe.”
Circle the meaning used.
Step 4 — History and origin
Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):
Write three words built from “breathe” and what each means:
Step 5 — Original meaning
The earliest traceable form is Middle English breth. What did it mean?
How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?
Step 6 — Use it yourself
☐ I can explain its meanings ☐ I know its history ☐ I know its original language ☐ I know its original meaning ☐ I can use it confidently
Answer key — breathe
Which meaning, sentence 1: B. To take in needed gases and expel waste gases in a similar way.
Which meaning, sentence 2: C. To inhale (a gas) to sustain life.
Which meaning, sentence 3: B. To live.
Origin: A. Middle English (Middle English breth)
Journey: English breathe ← Middle English brethen ← Middle English breth
Some derivatives: airbreathing, breathability, breathable, breather, breathingly, bum-breathing, embreathe, fire-breathing
Original meaning: Middle English breth — “breath”
Etymology: From Middle English brethen (“to breathe, blow, exhale, odour”), derived from Middle English breth (“breath”). Eclipsed Middle English ethien and orðiæn, from Old English ēþian and orþian (“to breathe”); as well as Middle English anden, onden, from Old Norse anda (“to breathe”). More at breath.
Sources: Wiktionary “breathe” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/breathe#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/breathe