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Glite Dictionary
breathing in

breathing in

11 1.0
Taking air into the lungs through the nose or mouth
  • noun
  • /ˈbriːðɪŋ ɪn/
translation icon : inhalación
  • Feel your chest rise and fall, breathing in and breathing out.
  • breathing in air
  • breathing in the scent
  • breathing in fumes

I've been in that place where it's so dark that you can't even handle breathing in and out who think there's no hope for your life.

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Examples

  • She felt rejuvenated after breathing in the fresh mountain air.

  • Now let us bring our attention back to the breath, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth.

  • It's just that breathing in the cold air really helps him, so just go, go, go, go.

    Mother's Day (2016)

  • I am not going to get ill breathing in the fresh air, taking it nice and slow.

  • So getting outside, breathing in that fresh air and staying active is crucial.

  • I stared at the river, breathing in the quiet.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Having the chemicals on our skin or breathing in their fumes can make us sick.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • I found my way to the docks, breathing in the salt and metal tangs of the ocean.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • We just sat there, breathing in the woodsy aroma of the scotch, watching night bleed into the sky.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Daringly, I picked a spray of blossoms and tucked it behind my ear, breathing in the heavy scent.

    Fiction book (1994)

Synonyms

inhalation
vsbreathing in
  • Specialized
24 4.1

Breathing air or gas into the lungs

is the common everyday phrase rather than the single technical word
aspiration
vsbreathing in
  • Specialized
7 5.9

Taking air into the lungs

is the neutral wording for the same action rather than this variant
intake
vsbreathing in
  • Specialized
7 3.5

The act of breathing air into the lungs

is focused specifically on air drawn into lungs rather than wider drawing in
inspiration
vsbreathing in
1 4.1

Taking air into the lungs when you breathe in

is the simple term for the whole act rather than a stage

Antonyms

breathing out
1 1.0

To push air out of your lungs

How Deep

deep breath
205 2.2
breathing in
11 1.0

Surface Forms

breathing in singular
breathings in plural

Morphology

breathing + in

The meaning 'inhalation' is directly and transparently derivable from 'breathing' (the process of taking air into the lungs) plus 'in' indicating inward direction; a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer this sense. This construction follows a common English gerund/particle composition and has clear cross-linguistic parallels, so it is immediately comprehensible.

Etymology

Breathing in names the simple act of taking air into your lungs. Imagine your chest filling as you pull air in, like filling a small bag with air, and that picture of breathing in is why it means 'inhalation'.