When you breathe you take air into your lungs and let it out in a regular rhythm. Living things need to breathe to live.

This word has several meanings related to living and taking in air. When someone says "As long as I breathe!" they mean "As long as I live!" In music, some silence can let the piece breathe. If you need a moment or room to breathe, you need a break. Wine breathes when it’s uncorked, enhancing its flavor. Breathing life into something gives it new energy. If this explanation has made you nervous, breathe deeply — that helps many people to relax.

Definitions of breathe

v draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs

“I can breathe better when the air is clean”
respire, suspire, take a breath
breathe easily again, as after exertion or anxiety
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breathe easily again, as after exertion or anxiety
breathe with great difficulty, as when experiencing a strong emotion
breathe excessively hard and fast
hiccough, hiccup
breathe spasmodically, and make a sound
sigh, suspire
heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
breathe out, exhale, expire
expel air
breathe in, inhale, inspire
draw in (air)
breathe with difficulty
saw logs, saw wood, snore
breathe noisily during one's sleep
suck in (air)
make a snorting sound by exhaling hard
exhale hard
sniff, sniffle
inhale audibly through the nose
snivel, snuffle
snuff up mucus through the nose
inhale audibly through the nose
drag, draw, puff
suck in or take (air)
huff, snort
inhale recreational drugs

v allow the passage of air through

“Our new synthetic fabric breathes and is perfect for summer wear”
Type of:

v expel (gases or odors)

emit, pass off
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belch, bubble, burp, eruct
expel gas from the stomach
force out
emit or cause to move with force of effort
emanate, exhale, give forth
give out (breath or an odor)
send out real or metaphoric rays
form, produce, or emit bubbles
effervesce, fizz, foam, form bubbles, froth, sparkle
become bubbly or frothy or foaming
Type of:
discharge, eject, exhaust, expel, release
eliminate (a substance)

v reach full flavor by absorbing air and being let to stand after having been uncorked

“This rare Bordeaux must be allowed to breathe for at least 2 hours”
Type of:
oxidate, oxidise, oxidize
add oxygen to or combine with oxygen

v impart as if by breathing

“He breathed new life into the old house”
Type of:
instill, transfuse
impart gradually

v utter or tell

“not breathe a word”
Type of:
express, give tongue to, utter, verbalise, verbalize

v manifest or evince

“She breathes the Christian spirit”
Type of:
make known; pass on, of information

v be alive

“Every creature that breathes
Type of:
exist, live, subsist, survive
support oneself

v take a short break from one's activities in order to relax

catch one's breath, rest, take a breather
Type of:
break, intermit, pause
cease an action temporarily

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