draw breath

draw breath

1. To take a break or rest. You keep going while I sit down and draw breath for a minute.
2. To live. No sweeter woman than your mother has ever drawn breath.
See also: breath, draw
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

draw ˈbreath

(British English) (American English draw a ˈbreath)
1 stop doing something and rest: She talks all the time and hardly stops to draw breath.
2 (literary) live; be alive: He was as kind a man as ever drew breath.
See also: breath, draw
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • come in and sit down
  • have a seat
  • do sit down
  • take one's breath away, to
  • jungle breath
  • dragon breath
  • sat
  • come in and sit a spell
  • sweeter than honey
  • set a spell
References in classic literature
He could hardly draw breath he was so worn out, and his mouth was parched by thirst.
Yellow Fairy Book
There would be no lessons to learn to-night, and the vision of helping with the preserves on the morrow had no terrors for her--fears could not draw breath in the radiance that flooded her soul.
Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm
Brocklehurst, and immediately after--"It is the new pupil, I perceive." And before I could draw breath, "I must not forget I have a word to say respecting her." Then aloud: how loud it seemed to me!
Jane Eyre
So then, perhaps a chance to draw breath? No chance.
No time to draw breath on hectic day worldwide
KARACHI -- As long as the respectable people of Sindh draw breath, no one will be allowed to divide the province, said MPA Sharjeel Inam Memon, on Saturday.
Division of Sindh will not be allowed at any cost: Sharjeel Memon
As someone who can barely draw breath, let alone a portrait, I've found the week-by-week contest both soothing and enthralling.
Frame beckons ..
The success of Fear is its fluidity, leaving the viewer unable to draw breath. Available digitally now and from Monday on DVD PS34.99/Blu-ray PS44.99.
DVD
"Our crossing and final ball weren't good enough and that kept giving Burton the chance to draw breath," he said.
clough toasts his brewers; IN ASSOCIATION WITH
But for now Sunderland fans can draw breath and relive the seven key moments in their team's climb to safety.
Sunderland's seven steps to survival: Key moments as the Black Cats reach safety; From Sam Allardyce's appointment to the win against Everton, here are the seven key moments in Sunderland's surge to Premier League safety
Specifically dealing with Syria's modern history, from the First World War to the current conflict, including the rise of the so-called Islamic State, McHugo has tapped a rich vein of instability, which has hardly allowed the nation to draw breath. From the post-WWI Mandates, the Palestinian refugee crisis that followed the creation of Israel, to Cold War politics, Syria has been confronted with a basket of woes.
Syria: a Modern History
With the stunned hosts hardly having chance to draw breath, that lead was doubled on five minutes when a Louis Moss corner was met by the head of Bamba-Leta and, despite home protests that the ball hadn't crossed the line, the goal was given.
Marc runs the show for Bay
The plot is extremely fast-moving as it twists and turns, you hardly draw breath before the next dose of violence and danger is unleashed.
Leonard, Niall: Incinerator
"You could feel everyone in the crowd draw breath when the ball fell to him.
Sad Toot blows it for Alex
Before Durham could draw breath, they were hit again, Jack Bradbury setting up Sweet to fire home from around 12 yards.
Synthonia 's Sweet unwraps the Durham City defence; NON-LEAGUE FOOTBALL
IT seems that no sooner do we draw breath after being hit by one savage storm than another one comes along to batter our coastline and put our already pulverised coastal defences under further threat.
North will need storm repair aid too; DAILY POST OUR VIEW