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

His ability to blanket the other team’s best player, regardless of the position, gives standout senior guard Marshawn Cocroft a little bit of a breather on that end of the court. —Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026

Daigneault tried to get Gilgeous-Alexander a short breather in the third, but the Nuggets immediately scored five straight points. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2026

Corning shares have jumped 71% year to date — within the top five for the entire S & P 500 — and hit a record high as recently Wednesday before taking a breather Thursday. —Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026

There used to be a down season in Edinburgh, when Scotland's capital city—with its beautiful Gothic buildings, cobblestoned Royal Mile, and 12th-century castle keeping watch on a hilltop—caught a slight breather from tourists. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 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