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

Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets fell Monday, after Wall Street declined Friday stateside as investors took a breather from the AI trade. —Lim Hui Jie,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 14 Dec. 2025

After a heated sermon, Jefferson slips into a side closet to take a breather. —Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Dec. 2025

Its one-take formula is made to break you — there are no breathers, the intensity simply keeps building to its apex. —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025

One is called the 'wonderful whimsy,' (with) fire breathers, jugglers, tarot card readers. —Tony Peterson, CBS News, 10 Dec. 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