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Glite Dictionary
to take a deep breath

to take a deep breath

103 2.7
Pull air slowly into your lungs to calm yourself
  • phrasal verb
  • /teɪk ə dip brɛθ/
translation icon : respirar hondo
  • I want you to take a deep breath for me.

So today, take a deep breath and soak it in.

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Examples

  • I had to stop and take a deep breath to compose myself.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Before speaking in public, it can help to take a deep breath to calm your nerves.

  • So close your eyes, take a deep breath and begin.

  • You can be calm, take a deep breath and notice your feelings.

  • So bear with me, take a deep breath and just hear me out, OK?

    Stephan Speaks

  • So if you start hearing that, take a deep breath three times.

    Team Coco

  • So take a deep breath, OK, and let it out.

  • Everybody, just take a deep breath.

    A Few Best Men (2011)

  • Now, take a deep breath.

    Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

  • So today, take a deep breath and soak it in.

    Harvard University

Synonyms

to take a breath
vsto take a deep breath
67 1.0

To breathe in and out once to calm yourself or prepare to speak

is a fuller inhale used to relax or prepare for a difficult situation
to catch one's breath
vsto take a deep breath
32 3.7

Pause to breathe normally after hard exercise or a shock

is an intentional deep inhale to calm or prepare, not a recovery pause
to suck in one's breath
vsto take a deep breath
2 6.2

To take air into your lungs quickly when you feel surprised, afraid, or before hard work

is a slow deep inhale for calming or preparation rather than a sharp gasp

Antonyms

to hold one's breath
10 4.1

To stop breathing for a short time or wait anxiously

How Deep

to inhale
84 2.7
to take a deep breath
103 2.7

Surface Forms

take a deep breath infinitive
taking a deep breath present participle
takes a deep breath third person singular
took a deep breath past
taken a deep breath past participle

Morphology

take + a + deep + breath

The meaning 'to inhale deeply' is directly compositional from 'take' (to perform an action), 'deep' (strong/complete), and 'breath' (air drawn into the lungs), so a learner who knows the words can infer the literal action. The pragmatic use to mean 'calm oneself' or 'prepare' is a straightforward, cross-linguistically common extension of the physical act and therefore remains predictable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

The phrase take a deep breath comes from the simple act of taking a deep breath to calm yourself. People do this to feel calmer and ready, so the phrase now means 'to relax or prepare' before something difficult.