Bated breath first appeared in Shakespeares 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 ones breath in excitement. Learn its origin and difference from baited breath.

Understanding the Context

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.

Bated breath refers to holding ones 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: Ill lend you thus much moneys? You will likely never use the word bate or bated,.

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").

Key Insights

At its core, bated breath means to suspend or restrain ones breathing, typically due to fear, excitement, or suspense. This physical act mirrors an internal holding back, a suppression of.

If you wait for something with bated breath, you wait anxiously to find out what will happen.

Simply put, " bated breath " means holding your breath with anticipation or anxiety, whereas " baited breath " is a common mispronunciation and misspelling that has crept into usage.