not hold one's breathとは 意味・読み方・使い方

動詞

not hold one's breath

1. (literally) Used other than with a figurative or idiomatic meaning: see not,‎ hold,‎ one's,‎ breath. To not keep air in one's lungs, pausing noticeably before exhaling after previously inhaling.
2. (idiomatic, usually in a negative) To not 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.

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

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

派生語

• don't hold your breath

Further reading

• not hold one's breath at OneLook Dictionary Search