What does bated mean?
Bated is an adjective meaning reduced, lessened, or held back in intensity. Though it derives from the same root as the verb 'abate', it has all but vanished from independent use and survives today almost exclusively in the idiom 'with bated breath', which describes waiting in a state of anxious, suppressed anticipation — so tense that one's breathing seems restrained. The phrase appears constantly in journalism, sports commentary, and fiction to convey suspense: audiences wait with bated breath for election results, verdicts, or final scores. Because the word is so rare on its own, it is frequently misspelled as 'baited', a mistake common enough that style guides regularly flag it. Bated carries a formal, slightly literary register and connotes eager suspense rather than dread. For writers seeking a vivid way to describe collective anticipation, it remains one of English's most evocative — if narrowly deployed — words.
adjectiveReduced or lessened in intensity; diminished. Used almost exclusively in the phrase 'with bated breath', meaning eagerly or anxiously awaiting something.
- Reduced in force or intensity; held back or restrained (now surviving almost solely in the phrase 'with bated breath').
"The audience waited with bated breath for the winner's name to be announced."
"We watched with bated breath as the spacecraft began its descent."
"He spoke in bated tones, careful not to wake the sleeping child."
You've almost certainly only ever used this word in a single five-word phrase — and you may have been spelling it wrong your whole life.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bated
Bated comes from the verb 'bate', a shortened form of 'abate', which entered Middle English from Old French 'abattre' ('to beat down'), itself derived from Latin 'battuere' ('to beat'). The sense of beating something down evolved into reducing or lessening its force, giving rise to 'bated' as an adjective meaning diminished. Shakespeare famously used it in The Merchant of Venice ('with bated breath'), helping cement the phrase in English. Its cousins include 'abate', 'rebate', 'combat', and 'batter', all tracing back to the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How bated is actually used
Bated is now essentially fossilized in English: outside of the fixed phrase 'with bated breath', it is rarely encountered and would strike most readers as archaic or affected. It is always used attributively before a noun. The spelling is frequently confused with 'baited'.
Easily confused with bated
'Baited' means lured or tempted (as with bait on a hook), while 'bated' means reduced or held back — so one waits 'with bated breath', not 'with baited breath'.