breathe

/bɹiːð/verb

To take air into the lungs and push it back out, supplying the body with oxygen and removing waste gases.

Example sentences

“The doctor asked me to breathe deeply while she listened to my chest.”
“It's hard to breathe at the top of the mountain because the air is thin.”

The verb keeps its final e; "breath" without it is the noun. "Breathe down someone's neck" means to supervise them too closely.

Synonyms for breathe

respire

Often confused with breathe

breathe vs breath

Related words

pulseThe steady beating you can feel in your wrist or neck as the heart pushes blood through the arteries.woundDamage to the body, usually on the outside, such as a cut, stab, or tear.surgeryA medical operation in which the body is cut open to fix, remove, or replace a part.bandageA length of soft fabric wrapped around an injured part of the body to cover or support it.therapyCare given to treat a health problem after it has been diagnosed; essentially the same as treatment.prescriptionAn official written instruction from a doctor authorizing a patient to receive a medicine or treatment, such as glasses of a certain strength.