short of breath . short of breath {adj.} Panting and wheezing. He ran up six flights of stairs so rapidly that he was short of breath for several minutes. Categories: add yours {adj.} Source: A Dictionary of American Idioms by A. Makkai, M.T. Boatner, J.E. Gates © 2024 To section: S Subscribe to: American IdiomsIdioms feedEnglish languageHome page and general feed Discuss