Meaning of Idiom ‘To Not Breathe a Word’
To not breathe a word about something means to keep a secret and not tell anyone about it; to not reveal something.
Negation, in some form, is always necessary for using this idiom. We never say, “I will breathe a word.” We might say, however, “If you breathe a word about this, I will never speak to you again.”
Variations:
(not) breathe a word about (something)
(not) breathe a word of (something)
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Sentence Examples
” I don’t think Karen will breathe a word about this.”
“I’m planning a birthday party for George. Don’t breathe a word about it!”
“I promise I won’t breathe a word to anyone about your promotion.”
“Now that you know the entire plan, please don’t breathe a word of it.”
“I’ll tell you everything you want to know but you have to promise to not breathe a word of it.”
Origin
The word breathe has been used to mean “to utter” since the 1500’s, so that the idiom translates to “not utter a word.”
The full idiom has been in use since at least the late 1700’s.
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