breeze

UK: /ˈbriːz/ US: /briz/ ,(brēz)

Inflections of 'breeze' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

breezes

v 3rd person singular

breezing

v pres p

breezed

v past

breezed

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

breeze /briz/   n., v., breezed, breez•ing. 
n. [countable]

1. Meteorology a wind or current of air, esp. a light one:
   A gentle breeze blew through the curtains.
2. Informal Terms an easy task:
   [usually singular] That quiz was a breeze.

v. 

3. to move in a carefree and confident manner:
   [~ + into/in + object] He breezed into the classroom and sat down.
4. Informal Terms breeze through, [~ + through + object] to complete (work, etc.) quickly and easily:
   We breezed through the test and were out of there an hour early.

Idioms

5. Slang Terms, Idioms shoot or bat the breeze, Slang. to talk aimlessly;
   chat:
   two old men sitting on the porch and shooting the breeze.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

breeze¹  (brēz), n., v., breezed, breez•ing. 
n. 

1. Meteorology a wind or current of air, esp. a light or moderate one.
2. Meteorology a wind of 4–31 mph (2–14 m/sec).
3. Informal Terms an easy task;
   something done or carried on without difficulty:
   Finding people to join in the adventure was a breeze.
4. British Terms [Chiefly Brit. Informal.] a disturbance or quarrel.
5. shoot or bat the breeze, [Slang.]
   • to converse aimlessly;
     chat.
   • to talk nonsense or exaggerate the truth:
     He likes to shoot the breeze, so don't take everything he says seriously.

v.i. 

6. (of the wind) to blow a breeze (usually used impersonally with it as subject):
   It breezed from the west all day.
7. to move in a self-confident or jaunty manner:
   She breezed up to the police officer and asked for directions.
8. Informal Terms to proceed quickly and easily;
   move rapidly without intense effort (often fol. by along, into, or through):
   He breezed through the task. The car breezed along the highway.

v.t. 

9. to cause to move in an easy or effortless manner, esp. at less than full speed:
   The boy breezed the horse around the track.
10. breeze in, [Slang.]
    • to win effortlessly:
      He breezed in with an election plurality of 200,000.
    • Also, breeze into or out. to move or act with a casual or careless attitude:
      He breezed out without paying attention to anyone.
11. breeze up, Atlantic States. to become windy.

• 1555–65; earlier brize, brise north or northeast wind; compare Dutch bries, East Frisian brîse, French brize, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan brisa, Italian brezza; origin, originally and path of transmission disputed

breeze′less, adj. 
breeze′like′, adj. 
Synonyms

• 1. See wind¹. 

breeze²  (brēz), n. 

1. Energy cinders, ash, or dust from coal, coke, or charcoal.
2. Energy concrete, brick, or cinder block in which such materials form a component.

• French braise live coals, cinders; see braze²
• variant of dialect, dialectal brays 1720–30

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

breeze / briːz/ noun

1. a gentle or light wind
2. a wind of force two to six inclusive on the Beaufort scale
3. an easy task or state of ease
4. a disturbance, esp a lively quarrel

verb (intransitive)

1. to move quickly or casually: he breezed into the room

Etymology: 16th Century: probably from Old Spanish briza northeast wind

breeze / briːz/ noun

1. an archaic or dialect name for the gadfly

Etymology: Old English briosa, of unknown origin

breeze / briːz/ noun

1. ashes of coal, coke, or charcoal used to make breeze blocks

Etymology: 18th Century: from French braise live coals; see braise