hold one's breath

Idioms  

1. Be excited, anxious, or nervous. For example, The election was so close that I held my breath until the final results were in , or I'm holding my breath until every-one's been heard from . This expression alludes to the interruption of normal breathing; the literal usage dating from the early 1700s.

2. not hold one's breath . An expression used to mean one is not awaiting something, as in I'm hoping to hear if I got the job, but I'm not holding my breath . It often is put as an imperative, don't hold your breath , meaning “don't expect it, it's not likely,” as in They may get married this summer, but don't hold your breath . This expression in effect implies it is unwise to stop breathing until a particular event occurs, since it may never come to pass. [ Slang ; mid-1900s]

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Example Sentences

Even if viewers know the outcome, it is hard not to hold one's breath as "The Rescue" unfolds, or not be moved to tears by the end.

From Salon • Oct. 8, 2021

"To photograph is to hold one's breath when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality," he wrote, neatly defining the moment of suspended reality that occurs when the shutter opens and closes in an instant.

From The Guardian • Aug. 4, 2010

But after five years of empty promises from China about understanding the need for a more flexible exchange rate system, one should not hold one’s breath.

From New York Times • Apr. 9, 2010

It might be said that the ability to hold one's breath differs greatly in individuals.

From Joe Strong, the Boy Fish or Marvelous Doings in a Big Tank by Barnum, Vance

They think that one must sit and hear whatever they may choose to say, and hold one’s breath, because of their money!

From Catherine Booth — a Sketch by Duff, Colonel Mildred