catch (one's) breath
1. To resume or try to resume breathing normally after a physically taxing activity that results in heavy breathing. Can we stop for a minute? I need to catch my breath—I can't run as fast as you guys! Make sure you give yourself a chance to catch your breath during the marathon. That exercise class was way too fast-paced—I could hardly catch my breath at any point!
2. To stop breathing momentarily as a result of fear or surprise. I caught my breath when I saw the gruesome injuries Adam had sustained in the accident. We were annoyed about the traffic jam until we saw the catastrophic car accident causing it. That made us catch our breath all right. I turned around and caught my breath when I saw my boyfriend kneeling with an engagement ring in his hand.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
catch one's breath
1. Resume normal breathing after physical exertion of some kind, as in
These stairs are steep; wait a minute till I catch my breath. This phrase once meant the same as
hold one's breath-that is, stop breathing momentarily-a usage no longer current. [Early 1800s]
2. Relax, take a rest, as in Events have been moving so fast I'd like to stop and catch my breath. [First half of 1900s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.