LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

suspīrium

suspīrium n (genitive suspīriī or suspīrī)
Classical[sʊsˈpiː.ri.ũː]Ecclesiastical[susˈpiː.ri.um]

Meaning

  1. a deep breath
  2. a gasp, a pant
    Nec mora, corripitur pervasor a febre, decumbit lectulo, exhorret cibum, fastidit et potum, profert aestuans iuge suspirium.Immediately the man who had invaded [the church property] was struck with a fever. He lay on his bed, refused food and drink, and in his fever, writhing, unceasingly brought forth a spasmodic pant.587 CE, Gregory of Tours, Liber in gloria martyrum, 70
  3. a sigh

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Suspirare · Gemere

Suspirare, to sigh, is a deep drawing of the breath and then forcible emission of it, as the immediate consequence of an afflicted heart; whereas gemere (γέμειν), to groan, is more of a voluntary act, in order to give vent to the afflicted heart; hence suspirium is more an expression of uneasiness and distress, gemitus of actual pain. Cic. Att. ii. 21. Cum diu occulte suspirassent; postea jam gemere, ad extremum vero loqui omnes et clamare cœperunt. (v. 244.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativesuspīriumsuspīria
genitivesuspīriī
suspīrī		suspīriōrum
dativesuspīriōsuspīriīs
accusativesuspīriumsuspīria
ablativesuspīriōsuspīriīs
vocativesuspīriumsuspīria

suspīrĭum, ii, n. id.,
I. a deep breath, a sighing, sigh.
I. Lit. (class.): suspirium alte petere, Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 58: traxit ex intimo ventre, id. Truc. 2, 7, 41: crebrum suspirium, Col. 6, 14, 2: si quis est in rerum naturā sine sollicitudine, sine suspirio, * Cic. Tusc. 4, 34, 72: idque ab exercitu cum suspirio videretur, Spart. Pers. 11.— Plur.: quos numquam pungunt suspiria, Prop. 3, 8 (4, 7), 27: repetere, Tib. 3, 6, 61: ducere, Ov. M. 1, 656: ducere ab imo Pectore, id. ib. 10, 402; 2, 125; 2, 774; 9, 537: cessant, Mart. 10, 13, 19.—Of animals, Mart. 1, 110, 9.—
B. As a disease, shortness of breath, asthma (post-Aug. and very rare): morbus, qui satis apte dici suspirium potest, Sen. Ep. 54, 1: suspirio laborare, Col. 7, 5 fin.; Veg. Vet. 1, 10 fin.; 1, 38, 4.—
II. Transf., in gen., a breathing, breath, respiration (in post-Aug. poetry): nec dat suspiria cursus Vulneris, Luc. 9, 928; 4, 328; Sil. 11, 221.

Origins

From suspīrō (“to sigh”) + -ium.

Descendants
  • Catalansospir
  • Frenchsoupir
  • Italiansospiro
  • Occitansospir
  • Portuguesesuspiro
  • Romaniansuspin
  • Spanishsuspiro
  • Aromaniansuschir
  • Friuliansuspîr
  • Romanshsuspir

In English words that came into English from suspīrium

  • suspirioussuspīriōsus

Quick answers

What does suspīrium mean in Latin?
suspīrium, a noun, means “a deep breath; a gasp, a pant; a sigh”.
What is the genitive of suspīrium?
The genitive singular is suspīriī. suspīrium is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce suspīrium?
In classical Latin, [sʊsˈpiː.ri.ũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [susˈpiː.ri.um].