heavy breather: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal, sometimes derogatory or humorous
Quick answer
What does “heavy breather” mean?
A person who breathes loudly and audibly, often due to physical exertion, illness, or excitement.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who breathes loudly and audibly, often due to physical exertion, illness, or excitement.
A person who makes obscene or harassing phone calls, characterized by heavy breathing and silence, for sexual gratification or intimidation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both meanings are understood in both varieties. The 'obscene caller' meaning may be slightly more prevalent in American media and crime reporting.
Connotations
In both varieties, the 'obscene caller' meaning carries strong negative, creepy, and criminal connotations. The literal meaning is neutral or descriptive.
Frequency
Low frequency in formal contexts. More common in informal speech, media reports about crime, and humorous contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “heavy breather” in a Sentence
[be] a heavy breather[get/have] calls from a heavy breather[report/deal with] a heavy breatherVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “heavy breather” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- N/A - The term is a compound noun.
American English
- N/A - The term is a compound noun.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A - The term is a compound noun. Can be used attributively in 'heavy-breather calls'.
- He made a heavy-breather phone call.
American English
- N/A - The term is a compound noun. Can be used attributively in 'heavy breather calls'.
- She reported a heavy breather incident.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in security briefings about workplace harassment.
Academic
Rare. Could appear in criminology, sociology, or media studies discussing deviant behavior.
Everyday
Used informally to describe someone breathing loudly after exercise, or more seriously to describe an obscene caller.
Technical
Not a technical term. May appear in police reports or telecommunications security contexts informally.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “heavy breather”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “heavy breather”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “heavy breather”
- Using 'heavy breather' in formal writing without context (it's informal).
- Confusing the two meanings and using the 'obscene caller' term to innocently describe someone out of breath.
- Misspelling as 'heavy breather' (correct: 'heavy breather').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, but it often is. The literal meaning (someone breathing heavily from exercise) is neutral. The idiomatic meaning (obscene caller) is strongly negative.
It is generally too informal for most formal writing. In academic or legal contexts, terms like 'obscene caller' or 'telecommunications harasser' are preferred.
Recommended advice is to hang up immediately without speaking, and report the number to your phone provider or local authorities if the calls persist.
While the stereotypical image is male, the term can technically refer to anyone exhibiting the behavior, regardless of gender.
A person who breathes loudly and audibly, often due to physical exertion, illness, or excitement.
Heavy breather: in British English it is pronounced /ˌhev.i ˈbriː.ðər/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌhev.i ˈbriː.ðɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “He turned out to be just a heavy breather.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a horror movie phone call with loud BREATHing that gives you a HEAVY feeling of dread.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE THREAT IS A DISEMBODIED BODY (the breath represents an intrusive, unwanted physical presence).
Practice
Quiz
In a news report about harassment, what does 'heavy breather' most likely mean?