Standard Lemma guide

exhale

noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌɛksˈheɪ̯l/
  • [ˌɛksˈheɪ̯l]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /ɪɡˈzeɪ̯l/
  • archaic: [ɪɡˈzeɪ̯l]
  • rhymes with -eɪl
  • CMU ARPABET: EH0 K S HH EY1 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An exhalation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To expel air from the lungs through the nose or mouth by action of the diaphragm, to breathe out.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To expel (something, such as tobacco smoke) from the lungs by action of the diaphragm.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To pass off in the form of vapour; to emerge.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To emit (a vapour, an odour, etc.).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The earth exhales vapor; marshes exhale noxious effluvia.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To draw out; to cause to be emitted in vapour.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The sun exhales the moisture of the earth.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

expel air

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Exhale when you lift the weight

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: expire, breathe out

Antonyms: inhale

Broader terms: breathe, take a breath, respire, suspire

Narrower terms: snort, blow

8

verb

Meaning 8

give out (breath or an odor)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The chimney exhales a thick smoke

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: give forth, emanate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: emit, breathe, pass off

History

Etymology

From Middle French exhaler, from Latin exhalare, from ex (“out”) + halare (“to breathe”).

Across languages

Translations

78 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: uitasem — to breathe out
  • Arabic: زَفَرَ (zafara) — to breathe out
  • Assamese: নিশাহ লোৱা (nixah lüa) — to breathe out
  • Belarusian: выдыха́ць (vydyxácʹ) — to breathe out
  • Belarusian: вы́дыхнуць (výdyxnucʹ) — to breathe out
  • Bulgarian: изди́швам (izdíšvam) — to breathe out
  • Bulgarian: изди́шам (izdíšam) — to breathe out
  • Chinese Mandarin: 呼出 (hūchū) — to breathe out
  • Czech: vydechovat — to breathe out
  • Czech: vydechnout — to breathe out
  • Danish: ånde ud — to breathe out
  • Dutch: uitademen — to breathe out
  • Finnish: hengittää ulos — to breathe out
  • French: expirer — to breathe out
  • Galician: bafexar — to breathe out
  • Galician: expirar — to breathe out
  • German: ausatmen — to breathe out
  • Greek: εκπνέω (ekpnéo) — to breathe out
  • Ancient Greek: ἐκπνέω (ekpnéō) — to breathe out
  • Hebrew: נָשַׁף (nasháf) — to breathe out
  • White Hmong: tso pa — to breathe out
  • Irish: asanálaigh — to breathe out
  • Irish: easanálaigh — to breathe out
  • Italian: espirare — to breathe out
  • Japanese: 息を吐く (iki o haku) — to breathe out
  • Khmer: ដកដង្ហើមចេញ (dɑɑk dɑnghaəm cəñ) — to breathe out
  • Korean: 내쉬다 (naeswida) — to breathe out
  • Northern Kurdish: henase dayîn — to breathe out
  • Latin: exhālō — to breathe out
  • Macedonian: издишува (izdišuva) — to breathe out
  • Macedonian: издише (izdiše) — to breathe out
  • Māori: whakahā — to breathe out
  • Māori: puha — to breathe out
  • Norwegian Bokmål: puste ut — to breathe out
  • Polish: wydychać — to breathe out
  • Portuguese: exalar — to breathe out
  • Portuguese: expirar — to breathe out
  • Quechua: samay — to breathe out
  • Romanian: expira — to breathe out
  • Russian: выдыха́ть (vydyxátʹ) — to breathe out
  • Russian: вы́дохнуть (výdoxnutʹ) — to breathe out
  • Scottish Gaelic: sèid — to breathe out
  • Serbo-Croatian: ѝздисати — to breathe out
  • Serbo-Croatian: изда̀хнути — to breathe out
  • Serbo-Croatian: ìzdisati — to breathe out
  • Serbo-Croatian: izdàhnuti — to breathe out
  • Slovak: vydychovať — to breathe out
  • Slovak: vydýchnuť — to breathe out
  • Slovene: izdihavati — to breathe out
  • Slovene: izdihniti — to breathe out
  • Spanish: espirar — to breathe out
  • Spanish: exhalar — to breathe out
  • Swedish: andas ut — to breathe out
  • Sylheti: ꠖꠝ ꠙꠣꠟꠣꠘꠤ (dom falani) — to breathe out
  • Telugu: నిశ్వాసించు (niśvāsiñcu) — to breathe out
  • Thai: หายใจออก (hǎai-jai-ɔ̀ɔk) — to breathe out
  • Tocharian B: satāsk- — to breathe out
  • Turkish: nefes vermek — to breathe out
  • Ukrainian: видиха́ти (vydyxáty) — to breathe out
  • Ukrainian: ви́дихнути (výdyxnuty) — to breathe out
  • Welsh: anadlu allan — to breathe out
  • Welsh: allanadlu — to breathe out
  • Yiddish: אויסאָטעמען (oysotemen) — to breathe out
  • Catalan: exhalar — to expel from the lungs
  • Catalan: expirar — to expel from the lungs
  • Finnish: hengittää ulos — to expel from the lungs
  • Irish: asanálaigh — to expel from the lungs
  • Italian: esalare — to expel from the lungs
  • Slovak: vydýchnuť — to expel from the lungs
  • Slovak: vydychovať — to expel from the lungs
  • Welsh: anadlu allan (rhywbeth) — to expel from the lungs
  • Finnish: huokua — to pass off in the form of vapour
  • Galician: bafexar — to pass off in the form of vapour
  • Finnish: huokua — to emit vapour, odour, etc.
  • Galician: bafexar — to emit vapour, odour, etc.
  • Italian: esalare — to emit vapour, odour, etc.
  • Slovak: uvoľňovať — to emit vapour, odour, etc.
  • Finnish: haihduttaa — to cause to be emitted in vapour