"bated breath" vs. "baited breath" - Vocabulary.com
Bated breath first appeared in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice in 1605. Using a shortened form of abated, which means "stopped or reduced," the phrase refers to people holding their breath in …
Searching…
Bated breath first appeared in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice in 1605. Using a shortened form of abated, which means "stopped or reduced," the phrase refers to people holding their breath in …
‘Bated’ is simply a shortened form of ‘abated’, meaning ‘to bring down, lower or depress’. ‘Bated breath’ makes perfect sense once you know that. Geoffrey Taylor, in his little poem Cruel, Clever Cat, 1933, …
Bated breath is an idiomatic expression that means holding one’s breath in excitement. Learn its origin and difference from baited breath.
4 天之前 · The meaning of WITH BATED BREATH is in a nervous and excited state anticipating what will happen. How to use with bated breath in a sentence.
2026年4月3日 · Bated breath refers to holding one’s breath in excitement or anxiety. It refers to a situation where there is a lot of anticipation and nervousness about something that is going to happen.
“Bated breath” is a phrase coined by Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice, spoken by Shylock in Act 1, Scene 3: I’ll lend you thus much moneys? You will likely never use the word “bate” or “bated,” as it …
Eagerly or anxiously, as in We waited for the announcement of the winner with bated breath. This expression literally means "holding one's breath" ( bate means "restrain").
At its core, “bated breath” means to suspend or restrain one’s breathing, typically due to fear, excitement, or suspense. This physical act mirrors an internal holding back, a suppression of emotion …
c. 1300, "to alleviate, allay;" mid-14c., "suppress, do away with;" late 14c., "to reduce; to cease," a shortening of abate (q.v.). Now only in phrase bated breath (subdued or shortened breathing, from …
2024年7月23日 · The term “bate” appeared in English around the 14th century and was commonly used to mean holding back or restraining something, such as breath. The earliest known printed usage of …