plural breaths
plural breaths
Learner's definition of BREATH
1
[noncount] : the air that you take into your lungs and send out from your lungs when you breathe : air that is inhaled and exhaled in breathing气息;呼吸的空气 -
gum that freshens your breath使口气清新的口香糖
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His breath smells like garlic. = He has garlic breath.他呼出的气有股蒜味。
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It's so cold outside that I can see my breath.外面太冷了,我都能看到自己呵出的气。
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We could smell the alcohol on his breath. [=his breath smelled of alcohol]我们能闻到他呼出的气有股酒味。
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He has bad breath. [=breath that smells unpleasant]他有口臭。
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sometimes used before another noun有时用于另一名词前 — see also breath test 2
a [noncount] : the ability to breathe freely呼吸 ◊ To catch your breath or (Brit) get your breath back is to rest until you are able to breathe normally.歇息;喘口气
◊ If you are out of breath, you are breathing very hard because you have been running or doing hard physical work.喘不过气来
◊ Someone who is short of breath or who has shortness of breath has difficulty breathing in enough air especially because of a physical or medical condition.(尤指因身体状况不佳或疾病)呼吸困难,呼吸短促。
b [count] : an amount of air that you take into your lungs一次吸气;(吸入的)一口气 -
I took/drew a long breath before speaking again.再次开口讲话之前,我深吸了一口气。
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The patient was only able to take shallow breaths. [=only able to take in small amounts of air]病人只能浅吸气。
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Take a deep breath. [=breathe deeply; take a lot of air into your lungs]深吸一口气。
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(US) I've barely had time to (stop and/to) take a breath since they got here. = (Brit) I've barely had time to draw breath since they got here. [=I have not been able to pause and rest]自从他们来到这里,我几乎没有时间歇口气。
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She recited the whole list in one breath. [=she recited it without stopping to breathe]她一口气背出了清单里的全部内容。
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her last/dying breath [=the breath that she took just before she died]她最后的一口气
◊ If you say two different things in the same breath, or if you say one thing and then something else in the next breath, it means that you say these things very close together.同时提及;紧接着说
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It's unusual to hear “promotions” mentioned in the same breath as “layoffs.”听到有人说完“升职”紧接着说“裁员”,这很不寻常。
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She praises their work, then criticizes them in the next breath. [=then immediately criticizes them]她表扬了他们的工作,紧接着指出了他们的不足。
◊ If someone says that you are wasting your breath or tells you to save your breath or to not waste your breath, it means that the things you say will not make someone behave or think differently and that you should not bother to try.白费口舌;别浪费口舌
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He begged her to go with him, but she told him he was wasting his breath.他恳求她与他一起去,但是她叫他不要白费口舌。
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You're not going to get him to stop drinking, so don't waste your breath.你不可能让他戒酒,所以不要白费口舌了。
3
[count] : a slight breeze微风 —
usually singular通常用单数 4
[singular] : a very small amount of something少量
a breath of fresh air
1
: clean or cool outside air after you have been in a building for a period of time新鲜空气 2
: someone or something that is different in a way that is interesting, exciting, enjoyable, etc.使人耳目一新的人(或物) -
His unusual outlook is a breath of fresh air.他与众不同的观点使大家眼前一亮。
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After dealing for so long with a difficult boss, our new supervisor is a breath of fresh air.在那个喜欢刁难人的老板手下干了这么长时间之后,见到新任主管我们都感觉耳目一新。
hold your breath
1
: to keep the air that you have breathed in your lungs for a short time instead of breathing out屏息 2
informal —
used to say that you do not believe that something will happen soon or at all不相信某事会发生;不抱希望 -
He says he'll do it, but I'm not holding my breath. [=I doubt he will do it]他说会去做那件事,但我深表怀疑。
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“She promised to pay me tomorrow.” “Well, don't hold your breath.” [=do not expect her to pay you tomorrow]“她答应明天给我付钱。”“唉,别指望了。”
take your breath away
◊ Something that takes your breath away is extremely exciting, beautiful, or surprising.令人惊叹;使人大吃一惊
under your breath
◊ If you say something under your breath, you say it quietly so that it is difficult to hear.(说话时)压低嗓门地,悄声地
with bated breath
— see bated