hold one's breath

English

Pronunciation

Audio (AU) (file)

Verb

hold one's breath

Used other than with a figurative or idiomatic meaning: see hold,‎ one's,‎ breath. To keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling.
(idiomatic, usually in a negative) To wait expectantly for something to happen soon.
He might pay back the money he borrowed without you reminding him, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
- 2008, Linda Robinson, Tell Me How This Ends: General David Petraeus and the Search for a Way Out of Iraq, page 271:
  Petraeus hoped they would succeed, and lent his support, but he was not holding his breath.

Derived terms

don't hold your breath

Translations

to hold one's breath

Armenian: please add this translation if you can
Chinese:
Mandarin: 屏息 (zh) (bǐngxī), 屏氣 (zh), 屏气 (zh) (bǐngqì)
Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
Finnish: pidättää hengitystään (fi)
French: retenir son souffle (fr)
Georgian: სუნთქვის შეკავება (suntkvis šeḳaveba)
German: den Atem anhalten
Greek: κρατάω την ανάσα μου (kratáo tin anása mou)
Hindi: अपनी साँस रोकना (apnI sANs roknA)
Icelandic: halda niðri í sér andanum

Japanese: 息を殺す (いきをころす, iki o korosu), 息を詰める (いきをつめる, iki o tsumeru)
Khmer: please add this translation if you can
Lao: ອັດໃຈ (’at chai)
Maori: pape, pepa, kuku, kumu
Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
Portuguese: prender a respiração
Russian: затаи́ть дыха́ние pf (zataítʹ dyxánije)
Swedish: hålla andan (sv)
Thai: please add this translation if you can
Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

to wait

Finnish: pidättää hengitystään (fi)
Greek: περιμένω πώς και πώς (periméno pós kai pós)

Swedish: hålla andan (sv)

Further reading

hold one's breath at OneLook Dictionary Search

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