French word

souffle

Pronunciation

IPA/sufl/

Meaning

  • masculine nounbreath

Example

Après la course, il a du mal à reprendre son souffle.

After the race, he has trouble catching his breath.

Illustration for souffle (breath)

More examples

Elle a laissé échapper un souffle de soulagement.

She let out a sigh of relief.

Core concept

A small pulse of air from the body, brief enough to mark one breath and strong enough to suggest energy or momentum.

Common phrases

  • donner son dernier souffle

    breathe one's last

  • un souffle de soulagement

    a sigh of relief

Similar words

haleine: Breath exhaled through the mouth or nose.
respiration: The process of breathing air in and out.
inspiration: The act of drawing air into the lungs.

Definition in French

Courte inspiration ou expiration perçue en un instant précis, utilisée surtout pour parler d'une seule bouffée d'air.

Word origin

Souffle is the noun formed from souffler and ultimately comes from Latin sufflare, 'to blow,' built from sub- and flare, 'to blow.'

Usage tips

  • In reprendre son souffle, son is masculine because souffle is masculine, regardless of the person's gender.

Opposites

  • apnéeapneanoun

Related words

  • essoufflementbreathlessnessnoun
  • soufflerblowverb

Word lists with this word