bated

American  

[bey-tid] / ˈbeɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. moderated or restrained.

   Their solemn faces, their fidgeting, and the bated whispers in which they spoke all told of nerves strained to the breaking point.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of bate.

idioms

1. with bated breath, with breath drawn in or held because of anticipation or suspense.

   We watched with bated breath as the runners approached the finish line.

Etymology

Origin of bated

First recorded in 1590–1600; bate ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective; bate ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bated

My 8-year-old Lego-maniac son waited with bated breath for two new Lego Smart Play Star Wars sets—Luke’s X-wing and Darth Vader’s TIE fighter—to come in the mail.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

Admire some of them, sure; watch with bated breath and then scream in astonishment when they pull off some amazing feat or another, absolutely.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

Caddell described the funding as a "stop gap", adding that "people will be waiting with bated breath to find out what's going to happen".

From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026

So I sent an email and waited with bated breath to see if I had finally found the smoked salmon.

From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2026

“He isn’t home,” I said with bated breath.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

Related Words

• delicate
• dim
• distant
• dull
• far-off
• gentle
• hazy
• inaudible
• mild
• muffled
• muted
• remote
• slight
• soft
• soothing
• stifled
• vague
• weak