breathe

breatheverb

1. take in airtake air into your lungs and let it out again

   transitive or intransitive [T/I] verb + object [V + obj]

   • Breathe deeply and try to relax.
   • It was hard to breathe in the thick smoke.
   • Fish breathe through gills, not lungs.
   • Breathe the fresh mountain air. V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + adverb breathe deeply, breathe heavily, breathe slowly, breathe normally

   verb + preposition breathe through your nose

   Compare breath (breathe is the verb; breath is the noun: take a deep breath)

   For translators (sense 1)

   Pronunciation trap The final sound is the th of smooth, not the th of breath; the related noun breath ends with the sound of thin.

2. give new energygive new energy and interest to something

   transitive [T] verb + object + preposition + object [V + obj + prep + obj] approving

   • The new manager breathed fresh life into the whole department. V + obj + prep + obj
   • Young players have breathed new energy into the team. V + obj + prep + obj

   Collocations

   phrase breathe new life into something, breathe fresh energy into something