Meaning

17 senses

  1. (intransitive)To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases.

    atmen

    дыша́тьdyšátʹ

    ди́хатиdýxaty

    draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs

  2. (intransitive)To take in needed gases and expel waste gases in a similar way.

    Fish have gills so they can breathe underwater.

    дыша́тьdyšátʹ

    expel (gases or odors)

  3. (transitive)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.

    дыша́тьdyšátʹ

  4. (figuratively, intransitive)To live.

    I will not allow it, as long as I still breathe.

    житьžitʹ, существова́тьsuščestvovátʹ

  5. (transitive)To draw something into the lungs.

    Try not to breathe too much smoke.

    einatmen

    вдыха́тьvdyxátʹ, вдохну́тьvdoxnútʹ

  6. (intransitive)To expel air from the lungs, exhale.

    If you breathe on a mirror, it will fog up.

    выдыха́тьvydyxátʹ, вы́дохнутьvýdoxnutʹ

  7. (transitive)To exhale or expel (something) in the manner of breath.

    The flowers breathed a heady perfume.

  8. (transitive)To give an impression of, to exude.

    The decor positively breathes classical elegance.

    дыша́тьdyšátʹ, излуча́тьizlučátʹ

  9. (transitive)To whisper quietly.

    He breathed the words into her ear, but she understood them all.

    hauchen

    шепта́тьšeptátʹ

  10. To pass like breath; noiselessly or gently; to emanate; to blow gently.

    The wind breathes through the trees.

    дыша́тьdyšátʹ, изрыга́тьizrygátʹ, изрыгну́тьizrygnútʹ

  11. To inspire (scripture).

  12. (intransitive)To exchange gases with the environment.

    Uncork the wine and leave it on the table for a few minutes to allow it to breathe.

    ве́ятьvéjatʹ, пове́ятьpovéjatʹ

Examples

408 sentences

  1. I can't breathe through my nose.

    Я не можу дихати через ніс. — uaspeaker

    ruЯ не могу дышать через нос. — katjka

    deIch kann nicht durch die Nase atmen. — Sudajaengi

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · A1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  2. I was unable to breathe because of the smoke.

    Я не міг дихати через дим. — rmdas

    ruЯ не мог дышать из-за дыма. — saiko

    deIch konnte wegen des Rauchs nicht mehr atmen. — mayabe

    Dejo · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  3. I can hardly breathe.

    Я ледве можу дихати. — deniko

    ruЯ едва могу дышать. — Wezel

    deIch kann kaum atmen. — Pfirsichbaeumchen

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  4. I can barely breathe.

    Я ледве можу дихати. — deniko

    deIch kann kaum atmen. — Pfirsichbaeumchen

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  5. Tom couldn't breathe.

    Том не міг дихати. — deniko

    ruТом не мог дышать. — odexed

    deTom bekam keine Luft. — raggione

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Translations

9 languages
Українська
By meaning 1
to draw air in and out:
Русский
By meaning 10
to draw air in and out:
figuratively: to live:
to draw into lungs:
to expel air from the lungs:
to give an impression of:
to whisper quietly:
to pass like breath:
to exchange gases with the environment:
to stop and catch one's breath:
to give an opportunity to catch breath:
Deutsch
By meaning 3
to draw air in and out:
to draw into lungs:
to whisper quietly:

Origin

From Middle English brethen (“to breathe, blow, exhale, odour”), derived from Middle Engli

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.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

breathes, breathing, breathed, breathed
Base formbreathe · to breathe
3rd person singularbreathes
Present participlebreathing
Past simplebreathed
Past participlebreathed

regular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theybreathe
he, she, itbreathes

Past simpleLesson

all personsbreathed

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave breathed
he, she, ithas breathed

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill breathe

Phrasal verbs

2 phrasal verbs

Synonyms

13 synonyms
spireC2draw breathinbreathesuspire
to draw air or other gases in and out:respire
to be passionate about:live and breathe
Close in meaning

Antonyms

4 antonyms
asphyxiatechokeB1hold one's breathsuffocate

Word family

41 related words
RelatedbreathB1respirationB2eatA1exhalationinhalationbreathablebreathabilitybad breathbreathe easywaste breathbreatherbreathing
Derivedairbreathingbreathe againbreathe freelybreathe inbreathe outbreathe uponbreathing gasbreathinglybreathing roombreathing spacebreathing spellbuddy breathebum-breathingembreathefire-breathingimbreatheinbreathemisbreathemouth-breathenonbreathingoutbreatheoverbreatheoverbreathedrebreathe

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

Collocations

5 patterns
  • could hardly breathe
  • couldn't breathe
  • breathe a word
  • breathed deeply
  • hardly breathe

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
breathB1breathablebreathalyzerbreatherbreathingbreathlessB1

Dictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.

breathe — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto