1. Home
2. Idioms
3. breathe down neck

breathe down neck

---

---

breathe down someone's neck

 

1. Fig. to keep close watch on someone; to watch someone's activities intently. (Alludes to someone standing very close behind a person.) I can't work with you breathing down my neck all the time. Go away. I will get through my life without your help. Stop breathing down my neck.

2. Fig. [for someone or something] to represent an approaching deadline. The project deadline is breathing down my neck. The due date for this paper is breathing down my neck.

See also: breathe, down, neck

breathe down your neck

to watch too closely what you do The supervisor breathes down my neck all the time, trying to make sure I'm working hard enough.

See also: breathe, down, neck

breathe down somebody's neck

to pay very close attention to what someone does in a way that annoys or worries them It's awful having to work with a boss who's breathing down your neck the whole time.

See also: breathe, down, neck

breathe down (someone's) neck

1. To threaten by proximity, especially by pursuing closely.

2. To watch or monitor closely, often annoyingly: The boss was breathing down my neck all morning.

See also: breathe, down, neck