breathe

breathe [ brið ] verb **

1. ) intransitive or transitive to take air into your lungs through your nose or mouth and let it out again:

He held her so tightly she could hardly breathe.

We can no longer depend on the quality of the air we breathe.

breathe deeply/hard/heavily (=take a lot of air into your lungs): She leaned against the door, breathing deeply.

a ) transitive to bring other substances into your mouth or lungs as you breathe:

I don't want to breathe other people's smoke.

b ) intransitive breathe on to blow air from your mouth onto something:

She breathed on her glasses then polished them on her shirt.

2. ) transitive LITERARY to say something very quietly

3. ) intransitive clothes that can breathe are made from cloth with very small holes that allow air in

4. ) intransitive if you let wine breathe, you open it a short time before you drink it so that the flavor improves

breathe down someone's neck

to watch closely what someone is doing, in a way that annoys them

breathe (easily/freely) again

to relax because you are no longer in a difficult or dangerous situation:

We found that file, so you can breathe again.

breathe your last (breath) LITERARY

to die

breathe (new) life into something

to provide something with new ideas, new energy, etc., so that it improves and is more likely to be successful again

breathe a sigh of relief

to stop worrying because something bad is no longer likely to happen

breathing fire INFORMAL

very angry

not breathe a word

to keep something a secret:

Promise me that you won't breathe a word about this to Anna.

,breathe `in phrasal verb

intransitive or transitive to take air into your lungs through your nose or mouth:

It hurts when I breathe in.

a. transitive to take other substances into your lungs through your nose or mouth:

They needed medical treatment after breathing in toxic fumes.

,breathe `out phrasal verb

intransitive or transitive to send air out of your lungs through your nose or mouth:

Now breathe out slowly.

a. transitive to send other substances out of your lungs through your nose or mouth:

We breathe in air and breathe out carbon dioxide.