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to take air, oxygen, etc., into the lungs and expel it; inhale and exhale; respire.
(in speech) to control the outgoing breath in producing voice and speech sounds.
to pause, as for breath; take rest:
How about giving me a chance to breathe?
to move gently or blow lightly, as air.
to live; exist:
Hardly a man breathes who has not known great sorrow.
to be redolent of.
(of a material) to allow air and moisture to pass through easily:
The jacket is comfortable because the fabric breathes.
(of the skin) to absorb oxygen and give off perspiration.
(of a wine) to be exposed to air after being uncorked, in order to develop flavor and bouquet.
to inhale and exhale in respiration.
to exhale:
Dragons breathe fire.
to inject as if by breathing; infuse:
She breathed life into the party.
to give utterance to; whisper.
to express; manifest.
to allow to rest or recover breath:
to breathe a horse.
to deprive of breath; tire; exhaust.
to cause to pant; exercise.
breathe down someone’s neck,

to be close to someone in pursuit; menace; threaten:
Police from four states were breathing down his neck.
to watch someone closely so as to supervise or control:
If everyone keeps breathing down my neck, how can I get my work done?

breathe freely, to have relief from anxiety, tension, or pressure:
Now that the crisis was over, he could breathe freely.
Also, breathe easily, breathe easy.
breathe one’s last, to die:
He breathed his last and was buried in the churchyard.
not breathe a word / syllable, to maintain secrecy; keep a matter confidential:
I’ll tell you if you promise not to breathe a word.
occurring or coming after all others, as in time, order, or place:
the last line on a page.
most recent; next before the present; latest:
last week; last Friday.
being the only one remaining:
my last dollar; the last outpost; a last chance.
final:
in his last hours.
ultimate or conclusive; definitive:
the last word in the argument.
lowest in prestige or importance:
last prize.
coming after all others in suitability or likelihood; least desirable:
He is the last person we’d want to represent us.
individual; single:
The lecture won’t start until every last person is seated.
utmost; extreme:
the last degree of delight.
Ecclesiastical. (of the sacraments of penance, viaticum, or extreme unction) extreme or final; administered to a person dying or in danger of dying.
after all others; latest:
He arrived last at the party.
on the most recent occasion:
When last seen, the suspect was wearing a checked suit.
in the end; finally; in conclusion.
a person or thing that is last.
a final appearance or mention:
We’ve seen the last of her. That’s the last we’ll hear of it.
the end or conclusion:
We are going on vacation the last of September.
at last, after a lengthy pause or delay:
He was lost in thought for several minutes, but at last he spoke.
at long last, after much troublesome or frustrating delay:
The ship docked at long last.
breathe one’s last, to die:
He was nearly 90 when he breathed his last.
verb
to take in oxygen from (the surrounding medium, esp air) and give out carbon dioxide; respire
(intransitive) to exist; be alive: every animal that breathes on earth
(intransitive) to rest to regain breath, composure, etc: stop your questions, and give me a chance to breathe
(intransitive) (esp of air) to blow lightly: the wind breathed through the trees
(intransitive) (machinery)

to take in air, esp for combustion: the engine breathes through this air filter
to equalize the pressure within a container, chamber, etc, with atmospheric pressure: the crankcase breathes through this duct

(transitive) (phonetics) to articulate (a speech sound) without vibration of the vocal cords Compare voice (sense 19)
to exhale or emit: the dragon breathed fire
(transitive) to impart; instil: to breathe confidence into the actors
(transitive) to speak softly; whisper: to breathe words of love
(transitive) to permit to rest: to breathe a horse
(intransitive) (of a material) to allow air to pass through so that perspiration can evaporate
breathe again, breathe freely, breathe easily, to feel relief: I could breathe again after passing the exam
breathe down someone’s neck, to stay close to someone, esp to oversee what they are doing: the cops are breathing down my neck
breathe one’s last, to die or be finished or defeated
adjective (often prenominal)
being, happening, or coming at the end or after all others: the last horse in the race
being or occurring just before the present; most recent: last Thursday
last but not least, coming last in order but nevertheless important
last but one, next to last
only remaining: one’s last cigarette
most extreme; utmost
least suitable, appropriate, or likely: he was the last person I would have chosen
(esp relating to the end of a person’s life or of the world)

final or ultimate: last rites
(capital): the Last Judgment

(postpositive) (Liverpool, dialect) inferior, unpleasant, or contemptible: this ale is last
adverb
after all others; at or in the end: he came last

most recently: he was last seen in the mountains
(in combination): last-mentioned

(sentence modifier) as the last or latest item
noun
the last

a person or thing that is last
the final moment; end

one’s last moments before death
the last thing a person can do (esp in the phrase breathe one’s last)
the final appearance, mention, or occurrence: we’ve seen the last of him
at last, in the end; finally
at long last, finally, after difficulty, delay, or irritation
verb
when intr, often foll by for. to remain in being (for a length of time); continue: his hatred lasted for several years
to be sufficient for the needs of (a person) for (a length of time): it will last us until Friday
when intr, often foll by for. to remain fresh, uninjured, or unaltered (for a certain time or duration): he lasted for three hours underground
noun
the wooden or metal form on which a shoe or boot is fashioned or repaired
verb
(transitive) to fit (a shoe or boot) on a last
noun
a unit of weight or capacity having various values in different places and for different commodities. Commonly used values are 2 tons, 2000 pounds, 80 bushels, or 640 gallons
v.
adj., adv.
v.
n.

breathe down someone’s neck
breathe easy
breathe life into
breathe one’s last