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

While Citi doesn't see the artificial intelligence bubble at its largest point yet, the bank has other reasons to take a breather on its S & P 500 long trade. —Alex Harring, CNBC, 21 Nov. 2025

While the games themselves won’t go away, one change may be the timing of them, especially the SEC’s late-season, collective breathers. —Seth Emerson, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025

Up until then, slashers were silent assassins or a breather. —Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Nov. 2025

The reality of the Warriors’ roster means that, on nights one or more of their veteran stars gets a breather, their ability to win at less than full strength will play an imperative role in determining their position when the postseason comes around. —Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 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