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

• 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

After that, everyone needed a breather and Noel stepped up with his trusty acoustic guitar and the big ballad section to end all big ballad sections. —Mark Sutherland, Variety, 4 July 2025

Whether polishing your résumé, taking a breather, or leaping toward something new, make your next step yours. —Daisy Auger-Domínguez, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025

Two overtime games to begin the series gave way to a breather Monday, a regulation game not especially close. —Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 10 June 2025

Animal spirits are again taking the market reign as investors’ fears have taken a breather, largely due to President Donald Trump walking back some of his most extreme tariff policies and the administration making progress on trade war de-escalation efforts. —Pia Singh, CNBC, 25 June 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