catch one's breath

verb

to take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity, so that one's breathing becomes easier

“They stood for a moment at the end of the set to catch their breath before resuming play.”

Similar
restbreathetake a breather
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Meanings

verbcatch one's breath (third-person singular simple present catches one's breath, present participle catching one's breath, simple past and past participle caught one's breath)

present singular third person catches one's breath · participle present catching one's breath · participle past caught one's breath · past caught one's breath

  1. to take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity, so that one's breathing becomes easier

    They stood for a moment at the end of the set to catch their breath before resuming play.

  2. to take in a breath sharply and hold it, usually in reaction to a sudden shock, or surprise

    John caught his breath when he saw the bottle rolling unstoppably towards the opposite edge of the table.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbtake a short break from one's activities in order to relax

Similar
restbreathetake a breather
Broader
pauseintermitbreak
Also see
breatheget one's breath backresttake a breather

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 歇口氣 /歇口气, 休息一下
  • 歇口氣 /歇口气 (xiē kǒuqì)to take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
  • 休息一下 (xiūxi yīxià)to take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
Finnish hengähtää, haukkoa henkeä
  • hengähtääto take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
  • haukkoa henkeäto take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
  • haukkoa henkeäto take in a breath sharply and hold it, usually in reaction to a sudden shock, or surprise
French reprendre son souffle
  • reprendre son souffleto take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
German verschnaufen
  • verschnaufento take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
Indonesian ambil napas, mengambil napas
  • ambil napasto take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
  • mengambil napasto take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
Italian prendere fiato, prendere fiato
  • prendere fiatoto take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
  • prendere fiatoto take in a breath sharply and hold it, usually in reaction to a sudden shock, or surprise
Japanese 息を呑む, 息を殺す
  • 息を呑む (iki o nomu)to take in a breath sharply and hold it, usually in reaction to a sudden shock, or surprise
  • 息を殺す (iki o korosu)to take in a breath sharply and hold it, usually in reaction to a sudden shock, or surprise
Māori hāhā
  • hāhāto take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
Persian استراحت, دمگیری
  • استراحت (esterâhat)to take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
  • دمگیری (dam-giri)to take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
Polish oddychać, odetchnąć
  • oddychaćto take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
  • odetchnąćto take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
  • zaczerpnąć tchuto take in a breath sharply and hold it, usually in reaction to a sudden shock, or surprise
Romanian își trage sufletul
  • își trage sufletulto take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
Russian передохну́ть, перевести́ дыха́ние
  • передохну́ть (peredoxnútʹ)to take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
  • перевести́ дыха́ние (perevestí dyxánije)to take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
  • перевести́ дух (perevestí dux)to take in a breath sharply and hold it, usually in reaction to a sudden shock, or surprise
Spanish tomar un respiro, tomarse un respiro
  • tomar un respiroto take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
  • tomarse un respiroto take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
  • recuperar el hálitoto take in a breath sharply and hold it, usually in reaction to a sudden shock, or surprise
  • recuperar el huelgoto take in a breath sharply and hold it, usually in reaction to a sudden shock, or surprise
  • recobrar la respiraciónto take in a breath sharply and hold it, usually in reaction to a sudden shock, or surprise
Swedish hämta andan, pusta ut
  • hämta andanto take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
  • pusta utto take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
  • flämtato take in a breath sharply and hold it, usually in reaction to a sudden shock, or surprise
Tagalog suminghap, maghabol ng hininga
  • suminghapto take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
  • maghabol ng hiningato take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity
Cite this entry
APA

catch one's breath. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catch%20one's%20breath

MLA

“catch one's breath.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catch%20one's%20breath. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “catch one's breath,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catch%20one's%20breath.

Source: catch one's breath on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.