What does "respire" mean?
Rest, respite.
Respire
/ɹɪˈspʌɪə/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Rest, respite.
- Grammar: respire is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: breathe, be alive, be animate, blow.
- Useful contrasts: photosynthesizing, asphyxia, photosynthesis.
- Usage evidence: The breath of heav'n fresh-blowing, pure and sweet, / With day-spring born; here leave me to respire.
How to use "respire"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "respire" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "respire" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "respire" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "respire" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "respire" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "breathe" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "respire", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Rest, respite. obsolete
"He cast to suffer him no more respire, But gan his sturdie sterne about to weld, And him so strongly stroke, that to the ground him feld."
Verb
- 1 To breathe in and out successively. intransitive
- 2 draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs wordnet
- 3 To breathe in and out successively.; To recover one's breath or breathe easily following stress. intransitive
"The breath of heav'n fresh-blowing, pure and sweet, / With day-spring born; here leave me to respire."
- 4 undergo the biomedical and metabolic processes of respiration by taking up oxygen and producing carbon monoxide wordnet
- 5 To take up oxygen and produce carbon dioxide (as animals do), or vice versa (as plants do). intransitive
"All living things respire or breathe. To many of us this means that they take in oxygen and give out carbon dioxide."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 breathe easily again, as after exertion or anxiety wordnet
- 7 To (inhale and) exhale; to breathe. transitive
"It is my opinion, that these animals, while they continue in the state of larvae, respire water and not air; and that they inspire the water, not by the mask, but by their posterior part, through which also they discharge it."
- 8 To recover hope, courage, or strength after a time of difficulty. archaic, intransitive
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The breath of heav'n fresh-blowing, pure and sweet, / With day-spring born; here leave me to respire."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "respire"?
Common synonyms include: breathe, be alive, be animate, blow, breathe, breathe hard.
How do you use "respire" in a sentence?
The breath of heav'n fresh-blowing, pure and sweet, / With day-spring born; here leave me to respire.
How do you pronounce "respire"?
Pronounced /ɹɪˈspʌɪə/.
Etymology
From Middle English respiren, borrowed from Old French respirer or Latin respīrō (“to blow back, breathe out”), from re- (“back”) + spīrō (“to breathe, blow”).