English idiom

breathe down someone's neck

Register · Neutral CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

to monitor someone so closely that they feel pressured or uncomfortable

Word picture

Another person is pictured standing so close that their breath can be felt on the back of one's neck.

Example

“I cannot finish the report while my manager is breathing down my neck.”

Dictionary details

Component words

breathe neck

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

neck and neck

very close in a competition, neither side clearly ahead

neck of the woods

someone's local area or part of the country

get a grip

regain composure and think calmly after becoming upset

get carried away

to become so excited or involved that you lose control

get the better of

to defeat someone or gain control over a person or feeling

first among equals

a member of a formally equal group who holds the leading or most prominent role

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

External links

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