Breast is a word with severalmore than two, but not a large number meanings. It can referto point to or mention something as the meaning to the frontthe side of something that faces outward or forward part of the body, the breast of a bird or other animal, a woman’s breast, or a verb meaning to face or push against something. The most common everyday meaning is the front part of the chest.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /brɛst/
Easy pronunciation: BREST (approximate spelling).
Stress: One syllable, so the single syllable is stressed.
Primary sense: noun meaning the front part of the chest.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Breast Meaning
the front part of the chest
Part of speech: noun
Definition: the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
Example: He clutched his breast after the fall.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- chest — The clearest and most direct synonym for this body-part sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Breast
Meaning 2
reach the point where something is at chest height
Part of speech: verb
Definition: meet at breast level
Example: The runner breasted the tape.
Meaning 3
face and push through something directly
Part of speech: verb
Definition: confront bodily
Example: They breasted the storm and kept going.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- front — Works in some contexts, but it is less natural and more general than breast.
Meaning 4
climb up to the top of a mountain
Part of speech: verb
Definition: reach the summit (of a mountain)
Example: They breasted the mountain.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- summit — Related in meaning, but as a verb it is less natural than breast and not a direct everyday substitute.
Meaning 5
the white meat from a bird’s chest
Part of speech: noun
Definition: meat carved from the breast of a fowl
Example: I ordered grilled chicken breast.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- white meat — Describes the cut, though it is more a food category than a perfect synonym.
Meaning 6
the chest area of an animal
Part of speech: noun
Definition: the part of an animal's body that corresponds to a person's chest
Example: The hunter examined the bird’s breast for markings.
Meaning 7
a woman’s breast
Part of speech: noun
Definition: either of two soft fleshy milk-secreting glandular organs on the chest of a woman
Example: She held the baby close to her breast.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- boob — Common informal synonym, but casual and sometimes rude.
- bosom — A literary or formal word that can refer to the breast, though it is less direct.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Breast Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- chest
verb: confront bodily
- front
verb: reach the summit of a mountain
- summit
noun: meat carved from the breast of a fowl
- white meat
noun: a woman's breast
- boob
- bosom
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Using breast only to mean a woman’s breast; the word also commonly means the chest or front of the body.
- Mixing the noun senses with the verb senses; breast as a verb means to face or push against something, not the body part.
- Assuming every synonym fits every sense; for example, chest fits the body sense, but not the mountain or food senses.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main meaning of breast?
The most common meaning is the front part of the chest, from the neck to the abdomen.
What are the best synonyms for breast?
For the main body-part sense, chest is the best synonym. Other senses have different synonyms, such as boob for a woman’s breast and white meat for poultry breast.
Is breast always about a woman’s body?
No. Breast can also mean the front of the body in general, the breast meat of a bird, or a verb meaning to face something directly.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.