catch one's breath
The idiom "catch one's breath" is commonly used to describe the need to pause and recover, either from physical exertion or emotional impact.
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Definition
B2Physical Activity
(informal)To pause and rest to regain normal breathing after exertion.
Example
- After running up the stairs, she had to stop and catch her breath.
B2Emotional Response
(informal)To take a moment to recover from a sudden shock or surprise.
Example
- He had to catch his breath when he saw the unexpected bill.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "catch one's breath":
take a breathhold one's breathgrab some aircatch a coldcatch uptake one's timebreathe one's lastgive someone a breakbreathing spacecatch outcatch it