breathe
Word family
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++breathe /briːð/ ●●● S3 W3 verb 1 air 空气AIR [intransitive, transitive]BREATHE to take air into your lungs and send it out again 呼吸 The room filled with smoke, and it was becoming difficult to breathe. 房间里全是烟，呼吸越来越困难。 People are concerned about the quality of the air they breathe. 人们关心他们所呼吸的空气的质量。 Relax and breathe deeply (=take in a lot of air). 放松，深呼吸。2 blow 吹BLOW [intransitive, transitive]BREATHE to blow air or smoke out of your mouth 呼气；喷出〔烟〕breathe on Roy breathed on his hands and rubbed them together vigorously. 罗伊往双手上哈了一口气，然后使劲地搓手。breathe something over somebody The fat man opposite was breathing garlic all over me. 对面的那个胖男人满口大蒜味，直向我熏来。3 somebody can breathe easy/easily RELAXEDused when saying that someone can relax because a worrying or dangerous situation has ended 某人可以放心了，某人可以松一口气 With stocks going up, investors can breathe easily. 股票上涨，投资者可以放心了。4 breathe a sigh of relief COMFORT/MAKE somebody FEEL BETTERto stop being worried or frightened about something 轻松地舒口气，松一口气 Once the deadline passed, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. 最后期限一过，大家都松了一口气。5 be breathing down somebody’s neck informalATTENTION to pay very close attention to what someone is doing, in a way that makes them feel nervous or annoyed 紧盯某人；严密监视某人 How can I concentrate with you breathing down my neck all the time? 你总是这样盯着我，我怎么能集中注意力？6 not breathe a word SECRETto not tell anyone anything at all about something, because it is a secret 不透露风声 Don’t breathe a word; it’s supposed to be a surprise. 一个字都不要透露出去，这是一个惊喜。7 breathe life into something EXCITEDto change a situation so that people feel more excited or interested 给某物注入新生命 Critics are hoping the young director can breathe new life into the French film industry. 影评家希望这位年轻导演会给法国的电影业注入新的生命。8. skin 皮肤 [intransitive] if your skin can breathe, air can reach it 〔皮肤〕透气9. clothes/fabric 衣服/织物 [intransitive] if cloth or clothing breathes, air can pass through it so that your body feels pleasantly cool and dry 〔布料或衣服〕透气10. wine 葡萄酒WINE [intransitive]DFD if you let wine breathe, you open the bottle to let the air get to it before you drink it 〔打开瓶盖让葡萄酒〕通气11 say STH quietly 轻声说SAY something QUIETLY [transitive] writtenSAY/STATE to say something very quietly, almost in a whisper 轻声说，低语 ‘Wait, ’ he breathed. “等一下。”他轻声说道。12. breathe your last (breath) literaryDIE to die 咽下最后一口气，死13. breathe fire ANGRYto talk and behave in a very angry way 发火 → live and breathe something at live1(19)14 breathe in phrasal verb BREATHEto take air into your lungs 吸气 → inhale The doctor made me breathe in while he listened to my chest. 医生给我听胸部时，叫我吸气。breathe something ↔ in Wyatt breathed in the cool ocean air. 怀亚特呼吸着凉爽的海风。15 breathe out phrasal verb BREATHEto send air out from your lungs 呼气 → exhale Jim breathed out deeply. 吉姆深深地呼出一口气。breathe something ↔ out Lauren lit up a cigarette, then breathed out a puff of smoke. 劳伦点起一支香烟，吐出一口烟来。n COLLOCATIONSadverbsbreathe deeply (=take long slow breaths of air)She breathed deeply in the cool night air.breathe heavily/hard (=breathe loudly especially after exercise)He’d been running and he was breathing hard.breathe fast/rapidly (=breathe quickly because of illness, fear etc)He closed his eyes, breathing fast under the fever.breathe slowlyBreathe slowly and try to relax.breathe steadily/evenlyThe baby was fast asleep and breathing steadily.breathe easilyMake sure the injured person can breathe easily.nounsbreathe some air/the airIt was wonderful to be outside and breathe some fresh air.breathe fumesThese children are breathing traffic fumes all day long.phrasescan hardly breatheIt was so hot that I felt as though I could hardly breathe.have trouble/difficulty breathingIn high altitudes some people have trouble breathing.struggle to breatheThe crowd pressed in around me and I struggled to breathe. THESAURUSbreathe [intransitive, transitive] to take air into your lungs and send it out again 呼吸Mary knew he was asleep because he was breathing deeply. 玛丽知道他睡着了，因为他呼吸很深。He breathed the clear spring air. 他呼吸着春天清爽的空气。sigh to breathe out slowly and make a noise that shows you are disappointed, tired, relieved etc 叹气She just sighed and shook her head. 她只是叹着气摇了摇头。n‘Never mind, ’ he sighed. ‘I’m sure there’ll be other opportunities.’pant to breathe quickly and noisily through your mouth, because you have been using a lot of effort 〔因吃力而〕气喘吁吁They were panting by the time they got to the finish line. 到达终点时他们都气喘吁吁。gasp to breathe very quickly and deeply and with difficulty 〔因呼吸困难而〕喘气，上气不接下气Her eyes were wide, and she was gasping for breath. 她双目圆睁，大口喘着气。n‘Do you think you can walk?’ ‘I’ll try to, ’ he gasped.snore to breathe noisily while you are sleeping 打鼾I couldn’t sleep because my husband was snoring. 我睡不着，因为我丈夫在打鼾。wheeze to breathe with difficulty, making a noise in your throat and chest, because you are ill 〔因病〕呼哧呼哧地喘气His asthma was making him wheeze. 他哮喘发作，呼哧呼哧地喘着气。nbe out of breath to be unable to breathe easily, especially because you have been running or doing other exerciseI was out of breath by the time we reached the top of the hill.nbe short of breath to be unable to breathe easily, especially because you are unhealthyBecause she was so overweight, she was often short of breath.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
breathe• "Come closer, " he breathed.• My eyes began to sting and I couldn't breathe.• The air was so smoky it was difficult to breathe.• The boy was unconscious, but he was still breathing.• Billie kissed the baby, its hands moved, and Rob breathed.• We need it not only to breathe but to protect us.• It was cold, and everyone breathed clouds of vapor.• Her throat muscles useless, she was unable to breathe, cough, or swallow on her own.• I want you to breathe deeply and relax.• Either he was breathing heavily or that was wind in the trees.• Colonel Fergusson had his eyes closed and was breathing out through his nose in long smooth puffs like a bellows.• He's unconscious, breathing spontaneously, slightly hypothermic from exposure.breathe deeply• I leaned over and breathed deeply.• I opened my eyes and gulped, breathing deeply.• Take a daily walk in the park and breathe deeply.• Better yet, you can breathe deeply and not choke on secondhand smoke.• I stopped, breathed deeply, and smiled as sweet air filled my lungs.• She sat for a while, becoming quieter, breathing deeply, ceasing to tremble.• Quinn breathed deeply, exhaled with a trembling chest, and breathed in again.• Exhorting him to breathe deeply they paraded him up and down beside the wire fence.breathe on• I breathed on my fingers to keep them warm.Origin breathe (1200-1300) breathbreathe verb →n COLLOCATIONS1 →THESAURUS1LDOCE OnlineChinese
send it to Corpus air lungs your into and take
breathe
breathe S3 W3 /briːð/
verb
The room filled with smoke, and it was becoming difficult to breathe.
People are concerned about the quality of the air they breathe.
Relax and breathe deeply (=take in a lot of air).
2. BLOW [intransitive and transitive] to blow air or smoke out of your mouth
breathe on
Roy breathed on his hands and rubbed them together vigorously.
breathe something over somebody
The fat man opposite was breathing garlic all over me.
3. somebody can breathe easy/easily used when saying that someone can relax because a worrying or dangerous situation has ended:
With stocks going up, investors can breathe easily.
4. breathe a sigh of relief to stop being worried or frightened about something:
Once the deadline passed, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
5. be breathing down sb’s neck informal to pay very close attention to what someone is doing, in a way that makes them feel nervous or annoyed:
How can I concentrate with you breathing down my neck all the time?
6. not breathe a word to not tell anyone anything at all about something, because it is a secret:
Don’t breathe a word; it’s supposed to be a surprise.
7. breathe life into something to change a situation so that people feel more excited or interested:
Critics are hoping the young director can breathe new life into the French film industry.
8. SKIN [intransitive] if your skin can breathe, air can reach it
9. CLOTHES/FABRIC [intransitive] if cloth or clothing breathes, air can pass through it so that your body feels pleasantly cool and dry
10. WINE [intransitive] if you let wine breathe, you open the bottle to let the air get to it before you drink it
11. SAY SOMETHING QUIETLY [transitive] written to say something very quietly, almost in a whisper:
‘Wait,’ he breathed.
12. breathe your last (breath) literary to die
13. breathe fire to talk and behave in a very angry way ⇨ live and breathe something at live1(19)
■ adverbs
▪breathe deeply (=take long slow breaths of air) She breathed deeply in the cool night air.
▪breathe heavily/hard (=breathe loudly especially after exercise) He’d been running and he was breathing hard.
▪breathe fast/rapidly (=breathe quickly because of illness, fear etc) He closed his eyes, breathing fast under the fever.
▪breathe slowly Breathe slowly and try to relax.
▪breathe steadily/evenly The baby was fast asleep and breathing steadily.
▪breathe easily Make sure the injured person can breathe easily.
■ nouns
▪breathe some air/the air It was wonderful to be outside and breathe some fresh air.
▪breathe fumes These children are breathing traffic fumes all day long.
■ phrases
▪can hardly breathe It was so hot that I felt as though I could hardly breathe.
▪have trouble/difficulty breathing In high altitudes some people have trouble breathing.
▪struggle to breathe The crowd pressed in around me and I struggled to breathe.
▪ breathe [intransitive and transitive] to take air into your lungs and send it out again: Mary knew he was asleep because he was breathing deeply. | He breathed the clear spring air.
▪sigh to breathe out slowly and make a noise that shows you are disappointed, tired, relieved etc: She just sighed and shook her head. | ‘Never mind,’ he sighed. ‘I’m sure there’ll be other opportunities.’
▪pant to breathe quickly and noisily through your mouth, because you have been using a lot of effort: They were panting by the time they got to the finish line.
▪gasp to breathe very quickly and deeply and with difficulty: Her eyes were wide, and she was gasping for breath. | ‘Do you think you can walk?’ ‘I’ll try to,’ he gasped.
▪snore to breathe noisily while you are sleeping: I couldn’t sleep because my husband was snoring.
▪wheeze to breathe with difficulty, making a noise in your throat and chest, because you are ill: His asthma was making him wheeze.
▪be out of breath to be unable to breathe easily, especially because you have been running or doing other exercise: I was out of breath by the time we reached the top of the hill.
▪be short of breath to be unable to breathe easily, especially because you are unhealthy: Because she was so overweight, she was often short of breath.
breathe in phrasal verb
to take air into your lungs ⇨ inhale:
The doctor made me breathe in while he listened to my chest.
breathe something ↔ in
Wyatt breathed in the cool ocean air.
breathe out phrasal verb
to send air out from your lungs ⇨ exhale:
Jim breathed out deeply.
breathe something ↔ out
Lauren lit up a cigarette, then breathed out a puff of smoke.
breathe S3 W3 /briːð/
verb Word Family: noun: breath, breather, breathing; adjective: breathless, breathy; verb: breathe; adverb: breathlessly
Date: 1200-1300
Origin: breath
1. AIR [intransitive and transitive] to take air into your lungs and send it out again:Origin: breath
2. BLOW [intransitive and transitive] to blow air or smoke out of your mouth
breathe on
breathe something over somebody
3. somebody can breathe easy/easily used when saying that someone can relax because a worrying or dangerous situation has ended:
4. breathe a sigh of relief to stop being worried or frightened about something:
5. be breathing down sb’s neck informal to pay very close attention to what someone is doing, in a way that makes them feel nervous or annoyed:
6. not breathe a word to not tell anyone anything at all about something, because it is a secret:
7. breathe life into something to change a situation so that people feel more excited or interested:
8. SKIN [intransitive] if your skin can breathe, air can reach it
9. CLOTHES/FABRIC [intransitive] if cloth or clothing breathes, air can pass through it so that your body feels pleasantly cool and dry
10. WINE [intransitive] if you let wine breathe, you open the bottle to let the air get to it before you drink it
11. SAY SOMETHING QUIETLY [transitive] written to say something very quietly, almost in a whisper:
12. breathe your last (breath) literary to die
13. breathe fire to talk and behave in a very angry way ⇨ live and breathe something at live1(19)
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breathe in phrasal verb
to take air into your lungs ⇨ inhale:
breathe something ↔ in
breathe out phrasal verb
to send air out from your lungs ⇨ exhale:
breathe something ↔ out
