'exhale' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'exhalare', where 'ex-' meant 'out' and 'halare' meant 'to breathe'.

'exhale' changed from Latin 'exhalare' into Middle English forms such as 'exhalen' and eventually became the modern English word 'exhale'.

Initially it meant 'to breathe out' (literally to send breath out), and over time it has retained this core meaning while also being used figuratively (e.g., to release emotion).