breathe
breathe — verb
1. to pull air into the body and push it back out through the lungs, or to take in
to pull air into the body and push it back out through the lungs, or to take in and release smoke, dust, or a smell in the same way.
After the long climb, Greta stopped by the gate and breathed deeply.
breathe + adverb for manner
The baby could not breathe through his nose because of the cold.
breathe through + body part
Workers wore masks so they would not breathe in the white dust.
Please breathe slowly while the nurse checks your blood pressure.
Underwater, Ravi breathed air from the tank and checked his watch.
- suffocate
to be unable to get enough air
文法句型
breathe
breathe + noun (air, smoke, dust)
breathe through + body part
用法筆記
This is the everyday physical sense. It is the only core sense here that freely takes objects like 'air', 'smoke', or 'dust', and it also appears with body-part phrases such as 'through your nose'. Distinguish from sense 2, which is about speaking quietly.
常見錯誤
2. to say a word or short sentence in an extremely soft voice, so that only someone
to say a word or short sentence in an extremely soft voice, so that only someone very near can hear it.
Noa breathed a soft thank-you before the lights went out.
breathe + short spoken noun phrase
From the hospital bed, Bao breathed his son's name once.
In the last scene, Priya breathed the final words to her stage partner.
With her lips near my ear, Esme breathed, 'Don't open the red box.'
At the back of the church, a child breathed 'sorry' to her mother.
- shout
to speak very loudly
文法句型
breathe + short words
breathe + direct speech
breathe + noun
用法筆記
Usually used for very short speech such as a name, warning, or thanks. The listener is normally close by, and the sentence often includes a quote or another brief spoken object.
3. to open a bottle of wine and leave it standing for a time so air can improve how
to open a bottle of wine and leave it standing for a time so air can improve how it smells and tastes.
The waiter said the red wine should breathe for twenty minutes.
wine + should breathe
Before dinner, Hana uncorked the bottle and let it breathe on the table.
let + wine + breathe
This old Bordeaux needs to breathe before we pour the first glass.
The host let the wine breathe while the roast finished in the oven.
文法句型
wine + breathe
let + wine + breathe
breathe + wine
用法筆記
Used almost only with wine. The most common pattern is 'let the wine breathe' or 'the wine needs to breathe'; direct transitive use is possible but less common.
4. if cloth, leather, or another material breathes, it lets air or water vapor pass
if cloth, leather, or another material breathes, it lets air or water vapor pass through instead of trapping it inside.
These running shoes breathe well, so my feet stay dry.
material + breathe well
Cotton shirts breathe better than plastic raincoats in hot weather.
comparison with clothing materials
The tent fabric breathes, but rain still cannot get inside.
The leather seat did not breathe, so Zane felt sweaty after the drive.
- trap
to keep air or moisture from escaping
文法句型
material + breathe
breathe well
not breathe
用法筆記
Subject is usually a material, fabric, shoe, or seat surface rather than a person. In product language, this sense is close to the adjective 'breathable'.
常見錯誤
5. to be living, or to show life by continuing to draw air in and out.
to be living, or to show life by continuing to draw air in and out.
As long as I breathe, no one will take this farm from us.
as long as + subject + breathe
The doctor leaned close to check whether the bird still breathed.
still breathed = remained alive
Everyone was relieved to see the child breathing when the lights came back.
After the crash, the paramedic saw that the driver was still breathing.
- die
to stop living
文法句型
still breathe
be breathing
as long as + subject + breathe
用法筆記
Often appears in serious or literary contexts, or when someone checks whether a person or animal is still alive. Distinguish from sense 1: here the point is life itself, not the physical action of taking air.
6. to stop for a short time and rest so you can continue your work or journey with
to stop for a short time and rest so you can continue your work or journey with more strength.
Under a pine tree, the cyclists breathed before climbing the last hill.
breathe + place before continuing
On the warehouse steps, the night crew breathed before hauling the next crate.
breathe before + next task
By the gate, the porters breathed a moment before lifting the piano again.
After the rescue drill, the cadets breathed briefly, then marched across the yard.
- rest
normal everyday choice
- pause
more neutral and not always about tiredness
- take a breather
informal modern expression for this idea
- press on
to continue without stopping
文法句型
breathe + place
breathe + for + time
用法筆記
This sense is rare in modern English. Today people more often say 'rest', 'pause', or 'take a breather'.