short of breath
idiom
: having difficulty breathing
She was short of breath and unable to talk after her run.
He is overweight and gets short of breath just walking to his car.
Examples of short of breath in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Another potential consequence of HMB is iron deficiency anemia, which can make people feel tired or short of breath, and may require a blood transfusion in severe cases.
—
Nick Blackmer, Verywell Health, 20 June 2023
Gaunt and short of breath from lung disease, Dever hunched on the edge of the bed, his mood darkening by the day.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2023
The floodwaters from Harvey deposited black mold throughout Hester’s home and left his daughter chronically short of breath.
—Washington Post, 11 May 2022
At a county health department near my hometown in rural Arkansas, almost everyone who comes in for a COVID-19 test is congested and short of breath, with a sore throat and muscle aches.
—Monica Potts, The Atlantic, 21 July 2021
See all Example Sentences for short of breath 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Nick Blackmer, Verywell Health, 20 June 2023
Gaunt and short of breath from lung disease, Dever hunched on the edge of the bed, his mood darkening by the day.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2023
The floodwaters from Harvey deposited black mold throughout Hester’s home and left his daughter chronically short of breath.
—Washington Post, 11 May 2022
At a county health department near my hometown in rural Arkansas, almost everyone who comes in for a COVID-19 test is congested and short of breath, with a sore throat and muscle aches.
—Monica Potts, The Atlantic, 21 July 2021
See all Example Sentences for short of breath
Dictionary Entries Near short of breath
Cite this Entry
“Short of breath.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20of%20breath. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share