breeze

breeze — noun

1. a soft wind that moves the air gently and often makes a place feel cooler.

1.nounB1
Definition

a soft wind that moves the air gently and often makes a place feel cooler.

Example

A cool breeze came through the open bus window at sunset.

collocation: cool breeze

By noon, a sea breeze had made the beach much less hot.

collocation: sea breeze

Common collocations
  • cool breeze
  • gentle breeze
  • sea breeze
  • evening breeze
Synonyms
  • wind

    the general word, with no idea of lightness or comfort

  • zephyr

    literary and more poetic than everyday 'breeze'

  • draft

    usually an unwanted current of air indoors

Antonyms
  • calm

    weather with little or no wind

Grammar Patterns

a breeze

a breeze + from/off + place

Usage Note

Often used for weather that feels pleasant or cooling. Common modifiers are 'cool', 'gentle', 'fresh', and 'sea'.

Common Mistakes

A breeze was blowing hard all night.
A strong wind was blowing hard all night.
'breeze' usually suggests a softer wind.

2. a task or situation that takes almost no effort because it turns out to be much

2.nounB2
Definition

a task or situation that takes almost no effort because it turns out to be much easier than expected.

Example

After two practice rounds, the interview was a breeze for Nadia.

pattern: be a breeze

With step-by-step notes on the wall, assembling the shelf was a breeze.

Common collocations
  • be a breeze
  • become a breeze
  • make something a breeze
Synonyms
  • cinch

    American informal, very close in meaning

  • cakewalk

    informal and strongly suggests no difficulty at all

  • picnic

    informal, but less common in modern use

Antonyms
  • struggle

    something that takes effort and causes difficulty

  • headache

    informal; a task that causes trouble

Grammar Patterns

be a breeze

become a breeze

Usage Note

Almost always appears after 'be' or 'become'. Informal and positive; it usually comments on a job, test, or problem after you see how easy it feels.

Common Mistakes

The homework was very breeze.
The homework was a breeze.
'breeze' is a noun in this expression, not an adjective.
Idioms

shoot the breeze/bull

idiom

To talk casually with someone about unimportant things.

After work, Min and I shot the breeze for an hour.

Why are you two shooting the breeze instead of studying?

breeze — verb

Word family

  • breezy
    adjectiveB2
  • breezily
    adverbC1
  • breeziness
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun sense 1, breeze is the everyday word for a light, pleasant wind. Wind is the broad term and can describe anything from a soft movement of air to a storm. Gust means a short, sudden burst, so it feels more abrupt than breeze. Gale is much stronger and is used for dangerous weather, not a comfortable day at the beach. Draft usually means a narrow current of cold air indoors, often unwanted. So you can enjoy a breeze on the coast, feel a draft under a door, or worry about gale warnings on the news.

wind ↗gustgale ↗draft ↗

Etymology

SpanishEnglish

English probably borrowed breeze in the early 1600s from Spanish brisa, a word used for a northeast wind. English first used it for a kind of wind, then widened it to the more general meaning of a gentle wind. Later, the light and easy feeling of that idea helped produce figurative uses, such as a task that feels easy and the verb meaning to move or progress with little effort.