exhale

verb

ex·​hale eks-ˈhāl How to pronounce exhale (audio)
ek-ˈsāl
exhaled; exhaling

intransitive verb

1
: to rise or be given off as vapor
2
: to emit breath or vapor

transitive verb

1
a
: to breathe out
she exhaled a sigh
b
: to give forth (gaseous matter) : emit
2
archaic : to cause to be emitted in vapor

Examples of exhale in a Sentence

She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, trying to relax. before answering, the suspect exhaled a cloud of cigarette smoke
Recent Examples on the Web That said, ongoing storms across the Midwest will exhale cool air, which may undercut storms or shunt the tornado risk farther south. Naomi Schanen, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 Mud spots on her face, the 31-year-old forward exhaled visibly several times while awaiting the whistle. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024 When Angie Cao blasted the ball into the top right-corner of the net, Archbishop Mitty could finally exhale and celebrate. Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 Slowly inhale and exhale moving down to your stomach. Tanyel Mustafa, Glamour, 16 Feb. 2024 However the ‘Hawks could be exhaling pending free-agent defenders like LB Bobby Wagner and DL Leonard Williams, whose acquisition at last year’s trade deadline came at the expense of this year’s Round 2 pick. Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 As the room collectively exhaled, a nurse reached back through the crowd with a vial of blood drawn from the fetus and handed it to MacKenzie. Megan Molteni, STAT, 21 Feb. 2024 The respiratory droplets that the whales exhale are a biological gold mine, allowing scientists to search for pathogens and abnormal cells. Emily Anthes, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2023 Freddie Freeman raised his eyebrows and exhaled in amazement. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'exhale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English exalen, from Latin exhalare, from ex- + halare to breathe

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of exhale was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near exhale

Cite this Entry

“Exhale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exhale. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

exhale

verb
ex·​hale eks-ˈhāl How to pronounce exhale (audio)
exhaled; exhaling
1
: to breathe out
2
: to send forth (as gas or odor)

Medical Definition

exhale

verb
ex·​hale eks-ˈ(h)ā(ə)l How to pronounce exhale (audio)
exhaled; exhaling

intransitive verb

: to emit breath or vapor

transitive verb

: to breathe out

More from Merriam-Webster on exhale

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