take a breather

verb

To take a break; to pause or relax briefly.

“Why don't we stop and take a breather before we continue?”

Similar
restbreathecatch one's breath
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Meanings

verbtake a breather (third-person singular simple present takes a breather, present participle taking a breather, simple past took a breather, past participle taken a breather)

present singular third person takes a breather · participle present taking a breather · past took a breather · participle past taken a breather

  1. idiomaticTo take a break; to pause or relax briefly.

    Why don't we stop and take a breather before we continue?

Synonyms & antonyms

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

Similar
restbreathecatch one's breath
Broader
pauseintermitbreak
Also see
breathecatch one's breathrest

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Finnish hengähtää
  • hengähtääto take a break
French souffler
  • soufflerto take a break
German eine Pause machen
  • eine Pause machento take a break
Italian fare una pausa
  • fare una pausato take a break
Polish odsapywać, odsapnąć
  • odsapywaćto take a break
  • odsapnąćto take a break
Russian передохнуть
  • передохнуть (peredoxnutʹ)to take a break
Spanish hacer una pausa
  • hacer una pausato take a break
Cite this entry
APA

take a breather. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20a%20breather

MLA

“take a breather.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20a%20breather. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take a breather,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20a%20breather.

Source: take a breather on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.