out of breath

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Idioms and Phrases

Breathing with difficulty, panting, gasping. For example, After five flights of stairs I'm out of breath . This slightly hyperbolic term (since literally running out of breath means one is dead) dates from the late 1500s. Also see catch one's breath .

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Example Sentences

In November 2021 she started noticing that she was constantly out of breath but was unable to get a diagnosis for some time.

From BBC

Tems was out of breath as she took to the stage after her name was read out at the awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

From BBC

Out of breath, they comment on having smelled fire before seeing smoke rising.

From BBC

I wanted people to notice that it sounds like she’s getting out of breath.

From Los Angeles Times

When Chris Rock started his monologue, the comedian sounded out of breath, as if he’d run up flights of stairs at 30 Rock to get to the stage.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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