What does tachypnea mean?
Tachypnea is the medical term for abnormally rapid breathing. It commonly refers to an elevated respiratory rate, often with shallow breaths, and can occur during respiratory illness, heart or lung disease, fever, pain, anxiety, or metabolic disturbance. Although the condition is frequently associated with breathing difficulty, rapid breathing does not always mean that a person is receiving enough oxygen. Clinicians assess tachypnea by counting respirations and considering the patient's age, breathing pattern, oxygen saturation, and overall condition. The word comes from Greek elements meaning “swift” and “breathing.” It is used in medical literature, hospital assessment, and respiratory monitoring, while everyday speakers are more likely to say “rapid breathing.”
nounAbnormally rapid breathing, especially when the breaths are shallow. In clinical use, it may indicate respiratory distress, fever, or another underlying condition.
- Abnormally rapid breathing, particularly shallow or excessively fast respiration as a sign of illness, respiratory distress, or physiological stress.
"The patient's breathing became tachypneic after her oxygen levels began to fall."
"The clinician recorded tachypnea and a low oxygen saturation in the emergency department."
"Severe tachypnea can accompany pneumonia, pulmonary edema, and other serious respiratory conditions."
The plural is rarely needed because the term is commonly used in the singular or as an uncountable clinical description.
"The chart documented recurrent tachypneas during the night."
Tachypnea is the body's alarm bell: the lungs may be moving fast, but the patient may still be struggling to get enough air.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tachypnea come from?
Tachypnea comes from Greek takhys, meaning “swift” or “rapid,” combined with pnē, meaning “breathing.” The term was formed through New Latin as a calque of the Greek tachypnoia. Its relatives include apnea, dyspnea, hyperpnea, and orthopnea, all of which describe breathing in terms of rate, absence, difficulty, or depth.
Related word forms
How tachypnea is actually used
This is a technical medical term used mainly in clinical settings. It describes the breathing rate rather than breath depth alone, and its presence may be a clinically significant sign that requires evaluation.
Easily confused with tachypnea
Tachypnoea is the traditional British spelling of the same medical term commonly written as tachypnea in American English.
Tachypnea means abnormally rapid breathing, whereas apnea means a temporary pause in breathing.