Ex-hales means to breathe out, but what are some of its antonyms? The opposite of ex-hales is inhale, which means to breathe in. Other antonyms for ex-hales include hold your breath, which means to stop breathing entirely, and suffocate, which means to have difficulty breathing or die because of a lack of air. Additionally, the word "inspire" can also be considered an antonym for exhale in some contexts. In general, antonyms are words that have opposite meanings, and these words can help convey different ideas and create complex descriptions when used appropriately in writing or speech.