He took a deep breath.

Meaning: This sentence means that the person inhaled a large amount of air.

Choice of Words: Took is the past tense of take which means to grasp or hold something. Deep is an adjective that describes something that is far below the surface or that extends a long way. Breath is the air that is inhaled and exhaled by living creatures.

Alternative Expressions

The man inhaled deeply.

Meaning: This means that the man took a big breath, filling his lungs deeply. It's similar to the first example, but it specifies that the person is a man.

Choice of Words: The is a definite article that refers to a specific person or thing. Man is a noun that refers to an adult male human being. Inhaled is a verb that means to breathe in. Deeply means to a great extent or degree. When you put them together, "The man inhaled deeply" means that the specific male person breathed in a large amount of air.

He drew in a long breath.

Meaning: This means that the person took a deep breath, filling their lungs with a lot of air. It's another way to describe taking a deep breath.

Choice of Words: Drew is a verb that means to pull or move something towards you. In is a preposition that indicates that something is located within or inside something else. A is an indefinite article that refers to one of something. Long means having a great distance from one end to the other. Breath refers to the air that is taken in and out of the lungs. When you put them together, "He drew in a long breath" means that the person pulled a large amount of air into their lungs.

Related Expressions