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

• 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

Taking a breather Researchers didn't expect to see dormant galaxies in the early universe. —Shreejaya Karantha, Space.com, 11 Aug. 2025

The Giants return home from Buffalo to take a breather before back-to-back joint practices against the Jets: Tuesday in Florham Park, N.J., and Wednesday in East Rutherford. —Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2025

While some of the actors took a breather and had fun improvising during these shoot days, for the crew, the pool scene proved to be one of the most difficult logistically. —Madeleine Janz, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025

The Celtics gave Gonzalez a breather on Sunday, sitting him for the matchup with New York. —Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 13 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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