breath
- noun
- /brɛθ/
- Nynaeve crossed her arms beneath her breasts and muttered under her breath, but she said nothing.
Examples
-
"Eventually," he added under his breath as he keyed for the intercom.
Fiction book (1991) -
And then under his breath, he'd be like, yeah, how are you today?
-
Now and then she heard herself say under her breath, "Poor Jill."
Fiction book (1990) -
I said under my breath, "They're freaking out a little; help us out here."
Academic text (2014) -
"Or hungry," Susan said under her breath, continuing in her playful mood. "Right."
Fiction book (1992) -
Eleanor's brow creased in thought, and she mumbled under her breath as she worked out the arithmetic.
Fiction book (1991) -
He made a suggestion under his breath about how the project could be improved.
-
You should save your breath when trying to convince him; he won't change his mind.
-
Whispers of discontent could be heard under their breath as the meeting ended.
Synonyms
276
1.5
A small indirect suggestion that helps you understand something
42
8.0
A remark that hints something bad about someone
19
7.2
A quiet suggestion that someone did something wrong
5
7.7
A small hint that something is true or will happen
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
27
4.1
To say something in a very quiet voice so other people cannot hear
- Informal
11
5.5
To say two things almost at the same time, often when they do not agree with each other
- Informal
To stop wasting time trying to convince someone who will not listen
Compounds
2
4.8
A tall plant with thin stems and many small white or pink flowers used in bouquets
A small plant with many tiny white flowers that florists use as bouquet filler
How Strong
Surface Forms
Etymology
Breath can mean a small hint because a tiny 'breath' is almost nothing; that's why 'not a breath of complaint' means there is not even the smallest sign of complaint.