English idiom

with bated breath

Register · Neutral CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

while waiting with intense eagerness or anxiety for something to happen

Word picture

A person is pictured holding back their breath while waiting for an important moment.

Example

“The finalists waited with bated breath as the judges opened the envelope.”

Dictionary details

Component words

bated breath

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

in the same breath

said almost at the same time or as part of the same statement

champ at the bit

to feel intensely ready to begin after being forced to wait

on tenterhooks

anxiously waiting in suspense because the outcome is uncertain

bright and early

at the very start of the morning

early bird

someone who prefers beginning the day before most other people

hang on a minute

used to ask someone to wait, or to express surprise or objection

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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