breathe
♦ breathe /br'iːð/ (breathes breathing breathed)
1 [VERB] V, V n, V n with in/out
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...
No American should have to drive out of town to breathe clean air...
A thirteen year old girl is being treated after breathing in smoke.
● breathing [N-UNCOUNT] usu with supp
Her breathing became slow and heavy...
He heard only deep breathing.
2 [VERB] V with quote, also V n
If someone breathes something, they say it very quietly. (LITERARY)
`You don't understand,' he breathed.
3 [VERB] with brd-neg, no cont, V n
If you do not breathe a word about something, you say nothing about it, because it is a secret.
He never breathed a word about our conversation.
4 [VERB] V n into n
If someone breathes life, confidence, or excitement into something, they improve it by adding this quality. (WRITTEN)
It is the readers who breathe life into a newspaper with their letters.
= instil
5
to be breathing down someone's neck: see neck
to breathe a sigh of relief: see sighbreathe in
[PHRASAL VERB] V P
When you breathe in, you take some air into your lungs.
She breathed in deeply.breathe out
[PHRASAL VERB] V P
When you breathe out, you send air out of your lungs through your nose or mouth.
Breathe out and ease your knees in toward your chest.
1 [VERB] V, V n, V n with in/out
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...
No American should have to drive out of town to breathe clean air...
A thirteen year old girl is being treated after breathing in smoke.
● breathing [N-UNCOUNT] usu with supp
Her breathing became slow and heavy...
He heard only deep breathing.
2 [VERB] V with quote, also V n
If someone breathes something, they say it very quietly. (LITERARY)
`You don't understand,' he breathed.
3 [VERB] with brd-neg, no cont, V n
If you do not breathe a word about something, you say nothing about it, because it is a secret.
He never breathed a word about our conversation.
4 [VERB] V n into n
If someone breathes life, confidence, or excitement into something, they improve it by adding this quality. (WRITTEN)
It is the readers who breathe life into a newspaper with their letters.
= instil
5
to be breathing down someone's neck: see neck
to breathe a sigh of relief: see sighbreathe in
[PHRASAL VERB] V P
When you breathe in, you take some air into your lungs.
She breathed in deeply.breathe out
[PHRASAL VERB] V P
When you breathe out, you send air out of your lungs through your nose or mouth.
Breathe out and ease your knees in toward your chest.