Meaning
Breathing held or subdued because of suspense, fear or intense expectation. Bated, not baited, is the standard spelling. It most often follows with and may be used ironically. Regional use: Origin in English drama; now international English.
Origin
Shylock speaks 'with bated breath and whispering humbleness' in The Merchant of Venice, written around 1596-97, the earliest known citation of the phrase. Bated is a shortened form of abated, meaning reduced or restrained. The frequent spelling 'baited breath' is a later error unless used deliberately as a joke.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- Wait with bated breath
- With bated breath
Usage Examples
- The audience waited with bated breath as the envelope was opened.
- We watched with bated breath while the climber crossed the gap.
- No one need wait with bated breath; the result will not arrive today.