Breathful

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Showing the quality of being full of breath or breathing
2. Characterized by an appearance or feeling related to breathing or breath
3. Having a nature that suggests or involves the act of breathing

Etymology: "Breathful" is a plain compound of "breath" and the suffix "-ful," which English has long attached to nouns to mean "full of" or "having the qualities of" the noun. "Breath" comes from Old English "brǣth," meaning vapour, odour or breath, and the suffix "-ful" comes from the Old English "full," meaning full. Put together, the adjective describes something full of breath or breathing, in the sense of an action or quality involving breathing. The word is a transparent formation, so nothing about it has shifted from its original meaning. Its appeal lies in how directly the parts add up: "breath" plus "full" gives a word that sounds like it should describe something lively, animated or charged with air.

Synonyms: full, ample, sufficient, abundant, plentiful

Antonyms: insufficient, lacking, scarce, meager, inadequate