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respiro

breath; breathing

noun reh-SPEE-roh Rare
Body & Health

Origin: Latin respirum, from respirare (to breathe)

Also means

respite

Usage Note

Respiro denotes a single breath or the act of breathing; respirazione (f) is the more clinical/biological term. The idiom tirare un respiro di sollievo means 'to breathe a sigh of relief.' Di ampio respiro (lit. 'of broad breath') is a common metaphor for something large in scope — un progetto di ampio respiro = a wide-ranging project.

Examples

"Ho bisogno di un attimo di respiro."

Natural Translation

I need a moment to breathe.

Literal Translation

I-have need of a moment of breath.

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