hold one's breath

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

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Verb

hold one's breath

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, 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.

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／屏气 (zh) (bǐngqì), 屏气 (zh) (bǐngqì)

• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: pidättää hengitystään
• 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 (apnī sā̃s roknā)
• Icelandic: halda niðri í sér andanum
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• 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 (ʼat chai)
• Macedonian: го држи здивот (go drži zdivot)
• Maori: pape, pepa, kuku, kumu
• Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
• Portuguese: prender a respiração
• Russian: затаи́ть дыха́ние pf (zataítʹ dyxánije)
• Spanish: aguantar la respiración, contener el aliento
• 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)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Swedish: hålla andan (sv)

Further reading

• “hold one's breath”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.