Dictionary

hold one's breath en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see hold, one's, breath. To keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling.
2. (idiomatic, qualifier:usually in a negative) To wait expectantly for something to happen soon.
   • Petraeus hoped they would succeed, and lent his support, but he was not holding his breath. 2008, Linda Robinson, Tell Me How This Ends: General David Petraeus and the Search for a Way Out of Iraq, page 271:
   • It would be nice to think there are grown-ups in the Government ready to sort out the mess for the sake of London and its people... but I'm not holding my breath. 2021 October 6, Christian Wolmar, “Both sides must work together to get London back on track”, in RAIL, number 941, page 35:
   • He might pay back the money he borrowed without you reminding him, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Forms

Deriveds

don't hold your breath

Relateds

breathholding · with bated breath · breath-holding

Translations (46)

fr compter sur quelque chose (to wait expectantly for something to happen soon) · is halda niðri í sér andanum (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · ja 息を殺す (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · cmn 屏息 (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · tl magpigil ng hininga (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · fi pidättää hengitystään (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · vi nín thở (to wait expectantly for something to happen soon) · tr soluğunu tutmak (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · pl wstrzymywać oddech (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · mk го држи здивот (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · tr nefesini tutup beklemek (to wait expectantly for something to happen soon) · cmn 屏氣 /屏气 (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · ru затаи́ть дыха́ние (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · it non sperarci (to wait expectantly for something to happen soon) · mi kuku (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · km អត់ដង្ហើម (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · de sich große Hoffnungen machen (to wait expectantly for something to happen soon) · chr ᎠᏔᏬᏍᏗᎭ (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · mi kumu (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · it non farsi illusioni (to wait expectantly for something to happen soon) · pt esperar sentado (to wait expectantly for something to happen soon) · cmn 屏住呼吸 (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · mi pape (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · es contener el aliento (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · lo ອັດໃຈ (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · sv hålla andan (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · fr retenir son souffle (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · fr se faire des idées (to wait expectantly for something to happen soon) · tr nefesini tutmak (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · sv hålla andan (to wait expectantly for something to happen soon) · pt suster a respiração (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · vi nín thở (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · pt prender a respiração (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · it trattenere il fiato (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · hi अपनी साँस रोकना (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · pl wstrzymać oddech (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · mi pepa (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · fi pidättää hengitystään (to wait expectantly for something to happen soon) · el περιμένω πώς και πώς (to wait expectantly for something to happen soon) · de den Atem anhalten (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · fr se faire des illusions (to wait expectantly for something to happen soon) · el κρατάω την ανάσα μου (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · ja 息を詰める (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · es aguantar la respiración (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling) · it restare col fiato sospeso (to wait expectantly for something to happen soon) · ka სუნთქვის შეკავება (to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling)