breather

noun

breath·​er ˈbrē-t͟hər 

1

: one that breathes

2

: a break in activity for rest or relief

3

: a small vent in an otherwise airtight enclosure

Synonyms of breather

• pause
• lull
• breath
• break

Examples of breather in a Sentence

He decided to give them a breather.

took a breather from the seemingly endless task of sorting through years of stuff stored in the attic

Recent Examples on the Web

The indie studio defied convention by taking the project out in August, usually considered a dead period with many executives on vacation as the TV business takes a breather before an expected post-Labor Day influx of pitches. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026

The Patriots’ sports performance team, led by Frank Piraino, combs through the GPS numbers to determine who may need a breather. — Chad Graff, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Take a breather now — things will get a bit chaotic in October. — Kyle Thomas, PEOPLE, 13 Sep. 2026

Technology has held up far better than the rest of the market lately, with the Nasdaq-100 barely budging during last week’s 628-point Dow selloff, even as the broader software group takes a breather after a strong summer run. — Tony Zhang, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing breather

• mouth breather

Rhymes for breather

• either
• neither

Kids Definition

breather

noun

breath·​er ˈbrē-t͟hər 

1

: one that breathes

2

: a pause for rest : break

Medical Definition

breather

noun

breath·​er ˈbrē-t͟hər 

: one that breathes usually in a specified way see mouth breather