What is the Latin word for breathe?

The usual Latin words for “breathe” are spīrō, respīrō, anima; also exerceō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“breathe” in Latin

spīrōto breathe, draw breath, respire; to blow, breathe, burst forth; to breathe out, exhale, emit respīrōto blow or breathe back; to breathe out, exhale; to take breath; to breathe, respire; to fetch one's breath again, recov animaair, breath; life, ghost; soul exerceōto keep busy, keep at work, drive on; occupy, practise, employ, exercise (something in a form of action); to harass, wor

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

breathe v.

spirare, respirare, animam reciprocare, spiritum trahere et emittere, animam or spiritum ducere. To breathe freely, libere respirare. To breathe with difficulty, aegre ducere spiritum; auhelare (to pant). While I live and breathe, dum quidem spirare potero, dum anima spirabo mea, dum anima est. A breathing, spiritus, spiratio, respiratio. A breathing between, interspiratio. To breathe upon, afflare aliquem or alicui, aspirare ad aliquem. A breathing upon, afflatus. To breathe into, inspirare. A breathing-hole, spiraculum. To breathe again (figuratively), respirare, se or animum colligere or recipere, recreari: TR., spiritu ducere; haurire. To breathe the common air, auram communem haurire. Air is fit to be breathed, aer spirabilis est. To breathe out, exspirare, exhalare: his last, animam efflare, exspirare. The flowers breathe fragrant scents, odores e floribus afflantur, flores exhalant odores. To be breathed upon by serpents, a serpentibus afflari. To breathe a lofty spirit into a man, alicui magnam mentem inspirare. Your face breathes love, facies tua spirat amores. His works seem to breathe his spirit, ejus mens videtur spirare in scriptis.

To breathe a little (in a speech), paulum intrequiescere. A breathing, respiratio; quies.

To exercise, exercere.

To breathe a vein, venam incidere.

To breathe one’s last, Vid: to give up the GHOST.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for breathe?: The usual Latin words for “breathe” are spīrō, respīrō, anima; also exerceō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.