respire

IPA/rɪˈspaɪə(r)/
IPA/rɪˈspaɪər/

respire — verb

  • respirepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • respireshe / she / it
  • respiredpast simple
  • respiring-ing form

1. to take air into the body and then let it out again through the nose or mouth.

1.動詞不及物C1
釋義

to take air into the body and then let it out again through the nose or mouth.

例句

The doctor asked Nora to respire slowly while he listened to her chest.

respire + adverb for manner of breathing

Fish respire by drawing oxygen from water as it flows over their gills.

respire + by + -ing for describing mechanism

同義詞
  • breathe

    the everyday, neutral word for taking air in and out; 'respire' is its formal equivalent

  • inhale

    refers only to drawing air in, not the full breathing cycle

  • exhale

    refers only to letting air out, not the full breathing cycle

文法句型

respire + adverb

用法筆記

A formal or literary synonym for 'breathe'. Rare in everyday conversation; in normal speech, use 'breathe' instead.

常見錯誤

❌I respired heavily after the run.
✅I breathed heavily after the run.
💡'respire' is formal and literary; 'breathe' is the everyday word for the same action.

2. in biology, for a living organism or cell to use oxygen to break down food subst

2.動詞不及物C2
釋義

in biology, for a living organism or cell to use oxygen to break down food substances and give off carbon dioxide as waste, producing energy in the process.

例句

Muscle cells respire faster during exercise because they need more energy.

biological subject + respire (cells, organisms, tissues)

The biology textbook explained that yeast cells respire without oxygen during fermentation.

respire without oxygen (anaerobic respiration)

同義詞
  • metabolize

    a broader term covering all chemical processes in a living thing, not only gas exchange

  • oxidize

    refers only to the chemical step of combining with oxygen, not the full respiration pathway

文法句型

organism/cell + respire

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (BREATHE): this sense refers specifically to the biochemical process at the cellular level, not the physical movement of air in and out of lungs. The subject is typically a cell, tissue, or organism, not a person.