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

The market's recent run higher took a breather as major indexes ended the session near previous closing levels. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 11 June 2025

While some players were busy representing their countries, others received a nice (and necessary) breather. —Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 5 June 2025

Also helping stocks Tuesday: a breather for the beleaguered bond market. —David Goldman, CNN Money, 27 May 2025

Extra time between activities can serve as a breather for everyone to rest and recalibrate. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 3 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