exhale

verb

ex·​hale eks-ˈhāl 

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

Synonyms

• blow (out)
• breathe (out)
• expel
• expire

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

Another great one is the 4-7-8 breath, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system: inhale for four counts, hold for seven and exhale slowly for eight. —Michelle Stansbury, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025

Use this simple breathing exercise: Inhale slowly for a count of five and exhale slowly for a count of five. —Juli Fraga, Contributor, CNBC, 6 Apr. 2025

Respiratory protection To see if the CR Boxes could also remove particulates exhaled by people in conversation or when sneezing, the researchers then tested the systems on respiratory plumes. —Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2025

Fully exhale each breath, emptying your lungs as much as possible, making your exhales longer than your inhales. —Dana Santas, CNN, 23 Mar. 2025

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

Rhymes for exhale

• airmail
• assail
• avail
• bewail
• blackmail
• cattail
• cocktail
• curtail
• derail
• detail
• dovetail
• email

Kids Definition

exhale

verb

ex·​hale eks-ˈhāl 

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 

exhaled; exhaling

intransitive verb

: to emit breath or vapor

transitive verb

: to breathe out