hold one's breath

verb

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.

“He might pay back the money he borrowed without you reminding him, but I wouldn't hold my breath.”

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Meanings

verbhold one's breath (third-person singular simple present holds one's breath, present participle holding one's breath, simple past and past participle held one's breath)

present singular third person holds one's breath · participle present holding one's breath · participle past held one's breath · past held 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. idiomaticusually in a negativeTo 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.

    2 more examples

    Petraeus hoped they would succeed, and lent his support, but he was not holding his breath.

    2008, Linda Robinson, Tell Me How This Ends: General David Petraeus and the Search for a Way Out of Iraq, page 271

    It would be nice to think there are grown-ups in the Government ready to sort out the mess for the sake of London and its people... but I'm not holding my breath.

    2021 October 6, Christian Wolmar, “Both sides must work together to get London back on track”, in RAIL, number 941, page 35

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
abidehold onhold one's horseshold one's peehold one's pisshold one's waterstand bywait

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 屏息, 屏氣 /屏气
  • 屏息 (bǐngxī)to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
  • 屏氣 /屏气 (bǐngqì)to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
  • 屏住呼吸 (bǐnɡzhù hūxī)to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
Finnish pidättää hengitystään, pidättää hengitystään
  • pidättää hengitystäänto keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
  • pidättää hengitystäänto wait expectantly for something to happen soon
French retenir son souffle, se faire des illusions
  • retenir son souffleto keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
  • se faire des illusionsto wait expectantly for something to happen soon
  • se faire des idéesto wait expectantly for something to happen soon
  • compter sur quelque choseto wait expectantly for something to happen soon
German den Atem anhalten, sich große Hoffnungen machen
  • den Atem anhaltento keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
  • sich große Hoffnungen machento wait expectantly for something to happen soon
Greek κρατάω την ανάσα μου, περιμένω πώς και πώς
  • κρατάω την ανάσα μου (kratáo tin anása mou)to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
  • περιμένω πώς και πώς (periméno pós kai pós)to wait expectantly for something to happen soon
Hindi अपनी साँस रोकना
  • अपनी साँस रोकना (apnī sā̃s roknā)to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
Icelandic halda niðri í sér andanum
  • halda niðri í sér andanumto keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
Italian trattenere il fiato, restare col fiato sospeso
  • trattenere il fiatoto keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
  • restare col fiato sospesoto wait expectantly for something to happen soon
  • non sperarcito wait expectantly for something to happen soon
  • non farsi illusionito wait expectantly for something to happen soon
Japanese 息を殺す, 息を詰める
  • 息を殺す (iki o korosu)to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
  • 息を詰める (iki o tsumeru)to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
Māori pape, pepa
  • papeto keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
  • pepato keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
  • kukuto keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
  • kumuto keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
Polish wstrzymywać oddech, wstrzymać oddech
  • wstrzymywać oddechto keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
  • wstrzymać oddechto keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
Portuguese prender a respiração, suster a respiração
  • prender a respiraçãoto keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
  • suster a respiraçãoto keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
  • esperar sentadoto wait expectantly for something to happen soon
Russian затаи́ть дыха́ние
  • затаи́ть дыха́ние (zataítʹ dyxánije)to keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
Spanish aguantar la respiración, contener el aliento
  • aguantar la respiraciónto keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
  • contener el alientoto keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
Swedish hålla andan, hålla andan
  • hålla andanto keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
  • hålla andanto wait expectantly for something to happen soon
Tagalog magpigil ng hininga
  • magpigil ng hiningato keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
Turkish nefesini tutmak, soluğunu tutmak
  • nefesini tutmakto keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
  • soluğunu tutmakto keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
  • nefesini tutup beklemekto wait expectantly for something to happen soon
Vietnamese nín thở, nín thở
  • nín thởto keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling
  • nín thởto wait expectantly for something to happen soon
Cite this entry
APA

hold one's breath. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20one's%20breath

MLA

“hold one's breath.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20one's%20breath. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hold one's breath,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20one's%20breath.

Source: hold one's breath on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.