quick breather
1
3.0
- noun
- Informal
:
descanso rápido
- After running for an hour, I took a quick breather to catch my breath and hydrate.
Examples
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I'm holed up in Lake Tahoe all week putting the finishing touches on our upcoming How to Connect with Anyone course, so I'm taking a quick breather to get this out to you!
Blog text (19) -
Just stopping off for a quick breather, kid.
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During the hike, we stopped for a quick breather before continuing up the steep trail.
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Tony felt exhausted after his workout, so he decided to have a quick breather before starting his stretching routine.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A short rest from work or activity
224
1.0
A short rest or pause between activities
192
1.0
A short stop in speaking or activity
46
2.3
A short break from an activity to rest or talk about what to do next
31
3.4
A short rest to recover energy
25
7.2
A short break from something difficult or unpleasant
20
1.0
A short break from work to drink coffee or eat a small snack
13
1.2
A short pause to use the toilet
1
3.5
A short time to rest or think when you feel pressure
1
1.3
A short informal break at work to drink tea or another drink
1
4.3
A short rest to get energy before continuing a difficult task
1
3.8
A short pause people take to calm down after a strong feeling
A short time to rest from work or trouble
A short pause from work to move, stretch, or rest
A short pause to use the toilet or have a brief rest
How Long
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'quick' (short in time) modifies 'breather' (a brief pause), so the combined meaning 'a short pause to rest' follows directly from the parts. This is a common, compositional pattern that a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand.
Etymology
The phrase quick breather comes from the simple image of someone running who stops for a few deep breaths. Breather is a short chance to breathe and quick shows it lasts only a little time, so it means 'a short break' to rest and feel better.