breathier; breathiest
: characterized or accompanied by or as if by the audible passage of breath
breathily adverb
breathiness noun

Examples of breathy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Symptoms include sudden, involuntary breaks in speech, a voice that sounds strained, breathy or weak, difficulty speaking fluently, especially on certain words or phrases, and worsening symptoms with stress or fatigue. Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025 Clairo's sweet, breathy, smooth voice both mesmerized and eased the audience. Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 5 Nov. 2024 Working with producer Carter Lang of SZA and Doja Cat fame, de la Fuente is no longer trying to capture the gilded vignettes of home, but rather relaxing into the bliss of fleeting moments, creating universal depictions of lust and yearning sung in breathy registers. Vita Dadoo, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2025 In contrast, a form of the condition called abductor dysphonia causes a breathy voice with breaks on consonants due to uncontrolled abduction – meaning coming apart of the vocal folds. Indu Subramanian, The Conversation, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for breathy

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of breathy was in 1849

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Cite this Entry

“Breathy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breathy. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

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