Having or characterized by the sound of breath, especially in speaking or singing where air passes through without full vocal vibration.
From 'breath' (Old English 'braeth') plus the adjective suffix '-y' (Old English 'ig'). The term became common in phonetics and singing instruction in the 19th-20th centuries to describe quality of voice.
Singers intentionally use breathy tones to convey intimacy or vulnerability—Marilyn Monroe and Billie Eilish both weaponized breathiness as a signature style that made listeners lean in closer.
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