Meanings
present singular third person respires · participle present respiring · participle past respired · past respired
- intransitiveTo breathe in and out successively.
Synonyms: breathe, draw breath, inbreathe, spire, suspire
- intransitiveTo recover one's breath or breathe easily following stress.
The breath of heav'n fresh-blowing, pure and sweet, / With day-spring born; here leave me to respire.
1671, John Milton, Samson Agonistes, lines 10–111 more example
Second Day.—Hold the breath five seconds. Respire, and hold the breath ten seconds. Respire, and hold the breath fifteen seconds.
1888, Edmund Shaftesbury, Lessons in Artistic Deep Breathing for Strengthening the Voice, page 23Synonyms: breathe, draw breath, inbreathe, spire, suspire
- intransitivebiologyTo take up oxygen and produce carbon dioxide (as animals do), or vice versa (as plants do).
All living things respire or breathe. To many of us this means that they take in oxygen and give out carbon dioxide.
1964, H. Webb, M. A. Grigg, Modern Science, Book 3, page 155Synonyms: breathe
- transitiveTo (inhale and) exhale; to breathe.
They were the last moments he might ever respire near her, who was then doubtless wrapt in peaceful sleep, whilst he wandered distracted without.
1838, [Letitia Elizabeth] Landon (indicated as editor), chapter XI, in Duty and Inclination: […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 1391 more example
It is my opinion, that these animals, while they continue in the state of larvae, respire water and not air; and that they inspire the water, not by the mask, but by their posterior part, through which also they discharge it.
1799, M. Lesser, Insecto-Theology: Or, a Demonstration of the Being and Perfections of God, from a Consideration of the Structure and Economy of Insects, page 327 - archaicintransitiveTo recover hope, courage, or strength after a time of difficulty.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo breathe in and out successively.
verbTo recover one's breath or breathe easily following stress.
verbTo take up oxygen and produce carbon dioxide (as animals do), or vice versa (as plants do).
More synonyms by meaning
verbbreathe easily again, as after exertion or anxiety
verbundergo the biomedical and metabolic processes of respiration by taking up oxygen and producing carbon monoxide
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinrespīrō“to blow back, breathe out”
- Old Frenchrespirer
- Middle Englishrespiren
- Englishrespire
From Middle English respiren, borrowed from Old French respirer or Latin respīrō (“to blow back, breathe out”), from re- (“back”) + spīrō (“to breathe, blow”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech oddychovat, oddechnout si
- oddychovatto recover one's breath following stress
- oddechnout sito recover one's breath following stress
- dýchatto take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide and produce energy in the process
German verschnaufen
- verschnaufento recover one's breath following stress
Māori tukupūngao
- tukupūngaoto take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide and produce energy in the process
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with respire
Anagrams
Cite this entry
respire. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/respire
“respire.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/respire. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “respire,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/respire.
Source: respire on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.