Example
“The finalists waited with bated breath as the judges opened the envelope.”
Dictionary details
Related idioms
Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.
in the same breath
Neutral · CEFR B2
said almost at the same time or as part of the same statement
champ at the bit
Neutral · CEFR B2
to feel intensely ready to begin after being forced to wait
on tenterhooks
Neutral · CEFR C1
anxiously waiting in suspense because the outcome is uncertain
bright and early
Neutral · CEFR A2
at the very start of the morning
early bird
Neutral · CEFR A2
someone who prefers beginning the day before most other people
hang on a minute
Informal · CEFR A2
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.