- breath
- nounADJECTIVE▪ big, deep, heavy, long, slow▪ quick, shallow, sharp, short▪ shaky, shuddering▪ hot, warm▪ bad (= bad-smelling)▪
Smoking gives you bad breath.
VERB + BREATH▪ draw, draw in, inhale, suck in, take▪He spoke solidly for twenty minutes, barely pausing to draw breath.
▪Take a deep breath and try to relax.
▪ exhale, let out, release▪He let out a long breath.
▪ feel▪She could feel his warm breath against her cheek.
▪ hold▪How long can you hold your breath for?
▪ get back (BrE), regain▪I needed a few minutes to get my breath back after the run.
▪ catch▪She paused to catch her breath.
▪ gasp for▪He came up out of the water gasping for breath.
▪ pause for▪She poured out her story, hardly pausing for breath.
▪ save (figurative)▪It's useless talking to him—you may as well save your breath.
▪ waste (figurative)▪Don't waste your breath. He never listens to advice.
BREATH + VERB▪ come in gasps, pants, puffs, etc.▪His breath came in short gasps.
PREPOSITION▪ on sb's breath▪I could smell gin on her breath.
▪ out of breath▪I'm a little out of breath after my run.
▪ under your breath▪He was whispering rude remarks about her under his breath.
▪ breath of▪It was a still day, without a breath of wind.
PHRASES▪ a breath of fresh air (often figurative)▪I'm going outside for a breath of fresh air.
▪The new secretary is a breath of fresh air.
▪ an intake of breath▪When the news was announced, there was a sharp intake of breath.
▪ in the same breath▪How can we trust a government that mentions community care and cutbacks in the same breath?
▪ short of breath▪I felt a little short of breath and had to sit down.
▪ take sb's breath away (figurative)▪The sheer audacity of the man took my breath away.
▪ with bated breath▪We waited for the decision with bated breath.
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
