Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

with bated breath

/wɪð ˈbeɪtɪd ˈbɹɛθ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.33 in modern English

Syllables: with- -bat-ed breath
IPA: /wɪð ˈbeɪtɪd ˈbɹɛθ/

29

Scrabble Score

15

Letters

4

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

prep_phrase

With reduced breath.

prep_phrase

Eagerly; with great anticipation.

Example Sentences

"Shall I bend low, and in a bond-mans key / With bated breath, and whiſpring humbleneſſe, / Say this:"
"[…] with parted lips and bated breath the audience hung upon his words, taking no note of time, rapt in the ghastly fascinations of the tale."
"Speak gently, Ο my son, speak gently now / With 'bated breath^([sic]), speak low."
"The Professor, the master, the supreme chief, he who had to be addressed with bated breath sat with half-opened mouth and staring eyes, leaning forward in his chair, while in front of him the slight young woman shaking her mop of brown hair and wagging an admonitory forefinger, spoke to him as a father speaks to a refractory child."
"We are waiting with bated breath for the release of the new version."
"Thanks to the previous experience of the chief performers, to careful preparation and rehearsal, and to perfect weather conditions, they watched in breath-bated silence the spectacle of the huge bulk moving without a hitch into position over the temporary pier caps on which it settled as water ballast was admitted to the pontoons."

Etymology

From the verb bate, alteration by aphesis of the verb abate (“to reduce; lessen”). Coined by William Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice, see quotations.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /wɪð ˈbeɪtɪd ˈbɹɛθ/
British English: /wɪð ˈbeɪtɪd ˈbɹɛθ/

Inflected Forms

with 'bated breath (alternative, common) with baited breath (alternative, common)

Phrases

don't hold your breath hold one's breath

Frequently Paired Words

breathholding don't hold your breath hold one's breath

Questions

How do you pronounce with bated breath?: The recorded pronunciation is /wɪð ˈbeɪtɪd ˈbɹɛθ/.
What does with bated breath mean?: With reduced breath.
Where does with bated breath come from?: From the verb bate, alteration by aphesis of the verb abate (“to reduce; lessen”). Coined by William Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice, see quotations.

How to pronounce with bated breath

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “with bated breath”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/wɪð ˈbeɪtɪd ˈbɹɛθ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “with bated breath”.
Repeat and practice — Say “with bated breath” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.