expressions - Can breathing be "uneven"?



I hope this is a valid question to ask. I wondered about the different expressions one can use for heavy or unstable breathing. Rather than being heavy breathing from exercising, it's heavy, laboured breathing due to negative emotions.


Would these work ? :



  • "uneven breath/breathing"

  • "quickening breath"


Is there also an expression or phrasing to implement a "breathing that's growing... [rasp/laboured/winded] ?


Are there other expressions to describe the following statement "her pulse quickened". I assume it depends on context, but does this expression implies a positive source or a negative one ?


In terms of regular breathing, can one qualify someone's breath of "steady", or "quite steady" ?


Essentially, how does one breathe in English ?




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