breather

breather — noun

1. a brief stop in work or effort that lets you rest, relax, or recover your streng

1.nounB2
Definition

a brief stop in work or effort that lets you rest, relax, or recover your strength.

Example

After carrying boxes upstairs, Ravi stopped for a breather by the front door.

for a breather after physical effort

The nurse finally took a breather once the last patient left.

take a breather

Common collocations
  • take a breather
  • stop for a breather
  • need a breather
  • give someone a breather
  • a quick breather
Synonyms
  • break

    the general everyday word; it can be planned or longer than a breather

  • rest

    focuses more on recovering energy, especially after physical effort

  • pause

    usually a shorter stop in an activity, speech, or movement

  • breathing space

    often more figurative, meaning extra time or relief from pressure

Grammar Patterns

take a breather

stop for a breather

give someone a breather

Usage Note

Usually appears in patterns such as 'take a breather' or 'give someone a breather'. More informal than 'break' or 'rest', and often used after hard work, exercise, or a tense period rather than for a long planned stop.

Common Mistakes

Let's take breather before the next meeting.
Let's take a breather before the next meeting.
the noun is countable and usually needs 'a'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A 'breather' is an informal word for a short rest, especially when work, exercise, or pressure has been building up. 'Break' is the broad everyday word and can be planned or quite long: a lunch break, a coffee break, a school break. 'Rest' focuses more on recovering energy and is often used after physical effort, illness, or travel. 'Pause' is usually even shorter and often describes a stop in speaking, music, or movement, not necessarily a chance to relax. 'Breathing space' is more figurative: it often means extra time or freedom from pressure, not simply sitting down for five minutes. After carrying suitcases upstairs, you might say, 'I need a breather.' During a speech, the speaker may pause, but not take a breather.

breather ↗break ↗rest ↗pause ↗breathing space

Common collocations

Phrases

  • take a breather
  • stop for a breather
  • need a breather
  • give someone a breather

Prepositions

  • breather after + activity
  • breather from + pressure/work
  • for a breather

Etymology

Old EnglishModern English

'Breather' was formed in English from the verb 'breathe' with the noun ending '-er'. The everyday meaning comes from the idea of having time to breathe again after effort, stress, or hurry. Records of this use go back to the early 1600s.