easy
Breathe in slowly, then breathe out.
What does Breathe mean?
Breathe means to take air into your lungs and send it out again.
Dictionary definition
To take air into the lungs and send it out again; it can also mean to speak very softly or allow air to pass through.
Example sentences
Breathe in a sentence
medium
The fabric lets your skin breathe during exercise.
medium
“Do not wake the baby,” Kai breathed.
hard
The new garden breathed life into the empty courtyard.
Writing practice
Ready to write your own? Study the examples, then practice breathe in a sentence with Sentence Builder checklist feedback.
Commonly confused words
Breath or breathe?
Compare the meanings, then choose a word for each new sentence.
Breath
Breath is the air you take into or send out of your lungs.
In a sentence Take a slow breath before you read the next line.
Breathe
Breathe means to take air into your lungs and send it out again.
In a sentence Breathe in slowly, then breathe out.
Spot the difference Breathe is the verb; breath is the noun. Write breathe when the sentence needs an action, as in breathe slowly.
Which word fits?
Choose breath or breathe for each blank. Say your answer, then check why it fits.
1Before her turn to speak, Nia took a quiet ___.
Check answer 1
breath — Breath names the air taken in. The sentence needs a noun after a quiet.
2The actor paused to ___ between long lines.
Check answer 2
breathe — Breathe names the action of taking air in and sending it out. The sentence needs a verb after to.
Make it your ownTry the word in a sentence about your day.
Write a sentence with breatheQuick practice
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Practice the meaning of Breathe
Answer three quick questions about its meaning and related words.
Question 1 of 3
Practice 1
What does breathe usually mean?
Breathe is the verb for the action of moving air into and out of the lungs.
Practice 2
Choose the word that completes the sentence: “Try to ___ normally after the run.”
The sentence needs the action verb breathe, not the noun breath.
Practice 3
Which sentence uses a less literal meaning of breathe correctly?
Materials breathe when they allow air or moisture to pass through.
Practice complete
Nice work!
You completed 3 questions.
Pronunciation coach
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Breathe
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BREETH
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BREETH
Learn
WordBreathe.
Partverb.
MeaningBreathe means to take air into your lungs and send it out again.
ExampleExample: Breathe in slowly, then breathe out.
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Ready when you are.
Nice work—you practiced breathe.
Synonyms
Words like Breathe
respireA formal or scientific verb for taking in and giving out air or another respiratory gas.
whisperUse only for the literary sense of saying something very softly.
Antonym review
Does Breathe have an opposite?
Hold your breath, suffocate, inhale, and exhale describe pauses, problems, or parts of breathing, not a direct opposite of the full verb breathe.
Synonym practice
Want to practice breathe synonyms in context? Try a Synonym Search question like "Please breathe slowly before reading aloud," then compare close word choices. Practice breathe synonyms.
Word family
Breathe word family
Base word
breathe
verb
breathes
Takes air in and sends it out now or regularly.
verb
breathed
Took air in and sent it out in the past.
noun
breathing
The process of taking air in and sending it out.
adjective
breathable
Allowing air or moisture to pass through.
Related words
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Student support
Understand Breathe
Hint for students
Breathe is the action word. It has a long ee sound and ends with a voiced th sound.
Common mix-up
Breathe is the verb; breath is the noun. Write breathe when the sentence needs an action, as in breathe slowly.
Try it in class or at home
Students change breath noun phrases into breathe verb clauses, then identify the literal, soft-speech, airflow, or breathe new life sense in four original examples.
Teacher prompt
Compare “Her breath was steady” with “She breathed steadily.” How do the ending and sentence position show noun versus verb?
Word Wheel
Practice with the School Words Wheel
This word is part of WordHive's researched School Words collection. Spin the complete wheel to review meanings, discuss classroom connections, and practice using school vocabulary in sentences.
Learning activities
Practice Breathe and explore more word games
Cards labelled “Practice BREATHE” keep this word in focus. Explore cards open games with other words.
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Sentence Builder
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Vocabulary Match
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Context Clue Challenge
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Practice BREATHE
Synonym Search
Compare meanings in a question that includes BREATHE.
Practice BREATHE
Explore · Scramble
Scrambled Bees
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