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3. out of breath

out of breath

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*out of breath

 and *out of wind

breathing fast and hard; gasping for breath. (*Typically: be ~; get ~.) I ran so much that I got out of breath. Mary gets out of wind when she climbs stairs.

See also: breath, of, out

out of breath

breathing with difficulty Bill was completely out of breath after moving the desk upstairs.

See also: breath, of, out

out of breath

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.

See also: breath, of, out