Puff and pant

Pro Tip 1/3

Heavy Breathing

Indicates intense physical activity; you're likely to hear it after someone runs or lifts heavy objects.

She started to puff and pant after sprinting to catch the bus.

Pro Tip 2/3

Exertion Indicator

Reflects a state of tiredness or exertion, showing someone's effort in an activity.

The movers had to puff and pant hauling that piano upstairs.

Pro Tip 3/3

Not Literal

Sometimes used figuratively to express the difficulty of non-physical tasks.

I puffed and panted through the difficult math problems.