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

Teng gets a ‘breather’ The Astros demoted Kai-Wei Teng to Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday. — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 29 June 2026

The show features fire jugglers and fire breathers. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026

If that occurs, the choppy action of the last few weeks could prove to be nothing more than a healthy breather before the next leg higher begins. — Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 24 June 2026

The door handle was rearranged in order to accommodate the bigger breathers, and one resulting tradeoff is the awkward need to push with one hand while using another to open the door. — Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 17 June 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