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

• break
• breath
• interruption
• lull
• pause
• recess

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

Initiating difficult conversations, and then getting all the way through them, takes planning and practice (and sometimes even a breather). —Harvard Business Review, 21 May 2025

Denver has to move on from DeAndre Jordan being a great teammate and find an actual backup center that can give Jokić some kind of breather. —Zach Harper, New York Times, 19 May 2025

In fact, the stock looked likely to take a breather on Wednesday. —Paulina Likos, CNBC, 14 May 2025

Humans are typically terrible breathers, if women are in a really tight sports bra, their breathing is going to be even worse. —Asif Burhan, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 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