To exhale means to breathe out, releasing air from your lungs. Every time you take a breath, you first inhale (breathe in) and then exhale (breathe out). When you blow out birthday candles, you're exhaling forcefully. When you sigh in relief after finishing a difficult task, that long breath out is an exhale.

You can feel yourself exhale by placing your hand in front of your mouth and breathing out. The warm air you feel is what you've just exhaled. Your body exhales to get rid of carbon dioxide, a waste gas your cells produce. This exchange happens automatically thousands of times each day without you thinking about it.

The word appears in many contexts. A yoga teacher might tell students to exhale slowly to help them relax. A doctor might ask you to exhale completely during an examination. Athletes learn to exhale at specific moments: a swimmer exhales underwater, while a runner exhales in rhythm with their steps. When someone finally exhales after holding their breath in suspense, it signals relief or release of tension.