breath S3 W2 / breθ / 名词

1

a) [不可数名词] the air that you send out of your lungs when you breathe :

Leo could smell the wine on her breath.

Let your breath out slowly.

b) [不可数名词] air that you take into your lungs :

When he reached the top of the stairs, his heart was pounding and he was gasping for breath.

c) [可数名词] an amount of air that you take into your lungs :

Shaun took a deep breath and dived in. ► Do not confuse the 名词 breath / breθ / with the 动词 breathe / brið / : She took a breath and continued. | I can’t breathe in here!

2 a breath of fresh air

a) something that is new and different in a way you think is exciting and good :

Osborne’s play brought a breath of fresh air to the British theatre.

b) clean air outside, that you feel you need after being inside for a long time :

I’m going outside for a breath of fresh air.

3 don’t hold your breath informal used to say that something is not going to happen soon :

The system’s due for an update, but don’t hold your breath.

4 catch your breath ( also get your breath back ) to start breathing normally again after running or making a lot of effort :

Slow down, I need to catch my breath.

5 don’t waste your breath ( also save your breath ) spoken used to say that someone will not be able to persuade someone else, so there is no point in trying :

Save your breath. She’s already made up her mind.

Will he listen to me or will I just be wasting my breath?

6 take sb’s breath away to be extremely beautiful or exciting :

The view from the top will take your breath away.

7 under your breath in a quiet voice so that no one can hear you :

‘Son of a bitch,’ he muttered under his breath.

8 in the same breath

a) ( also in the next breath ) used to say that someone has said two things at once that are so different from each other they cannot both be true :

He criticized the film, then predicted in the same breath that it would be a great success.

b) if you mention two people or things in the same breath, you show that you think they are alike or are related :

I became nervous when the doctor mentioned my mother’s name and ‘cancer’ in the same breath.

in the same breath as/with

a young poet mentioned in the same breath as T.S. Eliot

9 with your last/dying breath at the moment when you are dying :

With his last breath, he cursed his captors.

10 [单数形式] written a very small amount or a sign of something

breath of

They did everything they could to avoid the slightest breath of scandal.

11 a breath of air/wind literary a slight movement of air :

Scarcely a breath of air disturbed the stillness of the day.

→ with bated breath at bated

COLLOCATIONS

动词

take a breath (= breathe in ) Alex took a deep breath, then jumped into the pool.

let your breath out (= breathe out ) Let your breath out slowly and relax.

hold your breath (= not breathe out for a few seconds or minutes ) How long can you hold your breath underwater?

be out of breath (= have difficulty breathing after running, hurrying etc ) Andrew hurried in, slightly out of breath.

be short of breath (= be unable to breathe easily because you are ill, old etc ) Near the top of the mountain I started to feel short of breath.

gasp/fight for breath (= have difficulty breathing ) He was lying on the floor gasping for breath.

get your breath back ( also catch your breath ) (= start breathing normally again ) He leant against a tree until he had got his breath back.

pause for breath She talked solidly for five minutes, hardly pausing for breath.

draw breath written (= breathe ) I hid behind the door, hardly daring to draw breath.

形容词

bad breath (= that smells unpleasant ) Smoking gives you bad breath.

a deep/long breath (= in which you breathe a lot of air in slowly ) She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

a shallow breath (= in which you breathe a small amount of air in ) Shallow breaths are often a sign of nervousness.

短语

shortness of breath (= when you are unable to breathe easily ) Symptoms include dizziness and shortness of breath.

an intake of breath (= when you breathe in very quickly and suddenly, especially because you are surprised ) He gave a sharp intake of breath. | His first response was a sharp intake of breath.