We watched with bated breath, not knowing what to expect next.
What does the word 'bated' mean in this sentence? What's the root form of it?

Question

We watched with bated breath, not knowing what to expect next.
What does the word  'bated' mean in this sentence? What's the root form of it?

Answer

The phrase Bated breath refers to people holding their breath in excitement or fear as they wait to see what happens next.

The word bated itself is a shortened version of abated which means "stopped or reduced".

Hope this helps. Good luck^^