2006-06-14 04:40:44 · 6 answers · asked by Hickemtwiddle 4 in Education & Reference ➔ Quotations
If you wait for something with bated breath, you feel very excited or anxious while you are waiting
2006-06-14 04:43:05 · answer #1 · answered by Bog woppit. 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
As others have mentioned, it's actually bated breath. It is a form of abate.
Here's a site with more info:
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-bai1.htm
And some highlights from the site:
Bated here is a contraction of abated through loss of the unstressed first vowel (a process called aphesis); it has the meaning “reduced, lessened, lowered in force”. So bated breath refers to a state in which you almost stop breathing through terror, awe, extreme anticipation, or anxiety.
2006-06-14 04:45:55 · answer #2 · answered by Keith H 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bated breath, as in "I'm waiting with bated breath," means someone is unsure of something and maybe nervous about it. They are anticipating something important. Have you ever been watching something tedious and inhaled slightly, only to hold your breath until it happens, then to release the breath in kind of a light sigh of relief? That's what it is. It's difficult to explain, but when you are waiting with bated breath, you know it.
2006-06-14 04:45:39 · answer #3 · answered by cucumberlarry1 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means that you are waiting with anticipation.
2006-06-14 04:42:06 · answer #4 · answered by jeff_is_sexy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means you have worms in your mouth
2006-06-14 04:43:19 · answer #5 · answered by Paul P 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's "BATED BREATH".
2006-06-14 04:42:11 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋