under your breath

IPA/ˌʌndə jɔː bɹˈɛθ/
IPA/ˌʌndɚ jʊɹ bɹˈɛθ/

under your breath — idiom

1. to say something so quietly that only you can clearly make out the words, usuall

1.慣用語B2
釋義

to say something so quietly that only you can clearly make out the words, usually because you are complaining or making a critical remark that you do not want others to catch.

例句

Keiko muttered something under her breath about the delayed MRT train this morning.

mutter + under your breath for quiet complaints

Amina cursed under her breath when a stack of papers slid off her desk.

curse + under your breath after a mishap

同義詞
  • in a whisper

    more neutral — does not carry the secrecy or complaint nuance of 'under your breath'

  • in an undertone

    slightly more formal; can describe any quiet speech, not just complaints

  • mutter

    a single verb with similar meaning but without the idiomatic possessive structure

反義詞

文法句型

mutter / curse / whisper [something] + under your breath

用法筆記

Commonly paired with verbs of quiet speech: 'mutter', 'curse', 'whisper', 'say', 'remark'. The possessive pronoun ('your', 'his', 'her', 'their') must match the subject. This idiom is typically used for remarks the speaker does not want overheard — often complaints, sarcasm, or criticism — rather than for neutral quiet conversation.

常見錯誤

❌He said it under his breath in a loud voice.
✅He said it under his breath so nobody could hear.
💡'Under your breath' only works with quiet, barely audible speech.
❌She whispered a secret under her breath to her friend across the table.
✅She leaned over and whispered a secret to her friend across the table.
💡If you want the listener to hear you clearly, use 'whisper'; 'under your breath' implies the speaker is not trying to be heard clearly by anyone.