breathe down someone's neck

verb

To follow or supervise someone too closely, causing discomfort for that person.

“My boss never lets me get on with my work. He's always breathing down my neck and checking up on me.”

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Meanings

verbbreathe down someone's neck (third-person singular simple present breathes down someone's neck, present participle breathing down someone's neck, simple past and past participle breathed down someone's neck)

present singular third person breathes down someone's neck · participle present breathing down someone's neck · participle past breathed down someone's neck · past breathed down someone's neck

  1. idiomaticTo follow or supervise someone too closely, causing discomfort for that person.

    My boss never lets me get on with my work. He's always breathing down my neck and checking up on me.

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 緊盯著某人 /紧盯著某人, 紧盯着某人
  • 緊盯著某人 /紧盯著某人to follow or supervise too closely
  • 紧盯着某人 (jǐn dīng zhe mǒurén)to follow or supervise too closely
  • 密切監視某人 /密切监视某人 (mìqiè jiānshì mǒurén)to follow or supervise too closely
Czech stát někomu za zády
  • stát někomu za zádyto follow or supervise too closely
Dutch iemand in zijn/haar nek hijgen
  • iemand in zijn/haar nek hijgento follow or supervise too closely
Finnish hengittää jonkun niskaan
  • hengittää jonkun niskaanto follow or supervise too closely
French être sur le dos de quelqu'un, fliquer
  • être sur le dos de quelqu'unto follow or supervise too closely
  • fliquerto follow or supervise too closely
German jemandem im Nacken sitzen
  • jemandem im Nacken sitzento follow or supervise too closely
Hungarian a nyakában liheg
  • a nyakában lihegto follow or supervise too closely
Italian fiato sul collo
  • fiato sul colloto follow or supervise too closely
Portuguese fungar no cangote
  • fungar no cangoteto follow or supervise too closely
Russian дыша́ть в спи́ну, стоя́ть над душо́й
  • дыша́ть в спи́ну (dyšátʹ v spínu)to follow or supervise too closely
  • стоя́ть над душо́й (stojátʹ nad dušój)to follow or supervise too closely
Slovak dýchať niekomu na krk
  • dýchať niekomu na krkto follow or supervise too closely
Spanish tener a alguien en la mira
  • tener a alguien en la mirato follow or supervise too closely
Cite this entry
APA

breathe down someone's neck. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/breathe%20down%20someone's%20neck

MLA

“breathe down someone's neck.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/breathe%20down%20someone's%20neck. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “breathe down someone's neck,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/breathe%20down%20someone's%20neck.

Source: breathe down someone's neck on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.