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Glite Dictionary
breathily

breathily

1 5.4
In a soft, quiet voice that sounds like you are breathing
  • adverb
  • /ˈbrɛθɪli/
translation icon : susurrantemente
  • "Oh, God, Goldy," Audrey said breathily when we were connected.
  • said breathily

Examples

  • "But," the messenger continued breathily.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • He took a sip, sucking breathily.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Perhaps she had imagined how breathily her mother spoke.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • "I love you," Blair had told Nate breathily when she gave him the sweater.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Breathily, and with many embellishments, she described Hael's easy mastery of the half-tamed Moonfire, despite his inexperience.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • It seemed to David that Randall smiled, watching it, though he quickly went back to a coiled ribbon he'd pulled from the heap of tissue and trash, breathily singing his pleasure as he twirled it.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • "Oh," she said, breathily, feeling light, floating, and free.

  • I whisper breathily, my mouth just above the space where his neck meets his shoulder.

  • It feels wonderful," he finished breathily, staring at William in anxious wonder.

Antonyms

silently
129 1.2

In a quiet way without making any sound or speaking

How Breathy

gaspingly
8.4
breathily
1 5.4
softly
178 1.0
quietly
517 1.0

Surface Forms

breathily positive

Morphology

breathily = breathy (transparent) = breath + y + ly

Formed from 'breath' -> 'breathy' (breath + -y) and then -ly to make an adverb; the meaning is directly derived and predictable.

Etymology

Breathily comes from the simple word breath, meaning 'air from the lungs', plus the ending -ly, meaning 'in a ... way'. So to speak breathily is to speak 'with breath', making your voice soft, airy, or a little out of breath.