British EnglishAmerican Englishformalliteraryidiomatic
In a state of anxious or excited suspense; awaiting something with intense attention and expectation.
With one's breathing temporarily held or reduced because of nervous anticipation (figurative).
2.
British EnglishAmerican Englishliterarypoetic
With rapt or mesmerized attention; completely absorbed by what is being observed or expected.
Examples:
EN: As November came and the great event drew nearer and nearer, we all waited with bated breath.
ES: Llegó noviembre y conforme se aproximaba el gran acontecimiento... estábamos con el alma en vilo.
EN: We all watched him with bated breath. How would he behave when the Reverend Galsworthy took him in his arms?
ES: ¿Cómo se portaría?
EN: One day, they watch with bated breath while a single individual orbits the earth in a rinky-dink little cubicle and they think this is the most historic moment that's ever happened in the history of mankind.
ES: El milenio. Si, muy cerca. Cuantos de ellos hay por aqui?
EN: I've heard lads talk about you with bated breath!
ES: ¡He oído mucho hablar de ti!
EN: Shall I bend low, and in a bondsman's key, with bated breath and whispering humbleness say this:
ES: ¿Debo inclinarme como un siervo, y con voz ansiosa y humilde decir:
EN: He described later how he once stood with bated breath, watching the human snake wind past, until he made for home, a victim of fear and depression.
ES: Más tarde, describió cómo se quedó con el alma en vilo observando pasar a la gran serpiente humana. Se fue a casa víctima del miedo y la depresión.
EN: - A lightweight. - I grant you doesn't wait with bated breath for his next decision.
ES: - La facultad de Derecho de Harvard... no espera ansiosamente su próximo fallo.
EN: We used to, absolutely, with bated breath wait for the new albums to come out.
ES: Esperabamos con la respiración contenida por los nuevos albums.
EN: Dieyi, get out of bed. All of Beijing is waiting with bated breath... for the next appearance of the King and his Concubine!
ES: ¡Todo Beijing espera conteniendo la respiración... a la próxima aparición del Rey y su Concubina!
EN: You'd sit there with bated breath.
ES: Conteniendo la respiración.
EN: "with bated breath, the bachelors await your suit"
ES: Con el corazón detenido, nos quedamos parados amando cada pelo.
EN: We wait with bated breath.
ES: Esperamos con el alma en vilo.
ES: Esperamos la respuesta con el alma en vilo.
EN: - We await his return with bated breath.
ES: - Lo esperamos con ansiedad.
EN: Oh, sure, I mean, the fact that the entire world is waiting with bated breath.
ES: Oh, seguro, quiero decir, el hecho de que el mundo entero... está esperando con el aliento contenido.
EN: The huge cheering squad watches over him with bated breath!