in the same breath

in the same breath
in the same breath
Fig. [stated or said] almost at the same time. •

He told me I was lazy, but then in the same breath he said I was doing a good job.

The teacher said that the students were working hard and, in the same breath, that they were not working hard enough.

* * *
{adv. phr.} 1. At the same time; without waiting. * /John would complain about hard times, and in the same breath boast of his prize-winning horses./ * /Jane said Bill was selfish, but in the same breath she said she was sorry to see him leave./ 2. In the same class; in as high a group. - Usually used in the negative with "mention", "speak", or "talk". * /Mary is a good swimmer, but she should not be mentioned in the same breath with Joan./

Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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  • in the same breath — {adv. phr.} 1. At the same time; without waiting. * /John would complain about hard times, and in the same breath boast of his prize winning horses./ * /Jane said Bill was selfish, but in the same breath she said she was sorry to see him leave./… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • in the same breath — adverb simultaneously she praised and criticized him in the same breath * * * in the same (or next) breath at the same time he congratulated Simon on his victory but in the same breath dismissed it * * * in the same ˈbreath idiom immediately… …   Useful english dictionary

  • in the same breath — 1. if you say two things in the same breath, you say two things that are so different that if one is true the other must be false. She said she didn t love him any more but in the same breath said how wonderful he was. 2. if you talk about two… …   New idioms dictionary

  • in\ the\ same\ breath — adv. phr. 1. At the same time; without waiting. John would complain about hard times, and in the same breath boast of his prize winning horses. Jane said Bill was selfish, but in the same breath she said she was sorry to see him leave. 2. In the… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • in the same breath — 1) used for saying that someone has said two things that cannot both be true She says the treatment is safe, and then in the same breath says that patients should be warned about possible side effects. 2) if you talk about two people or things in …   English dictionary

  • in the same breath — in one breath, at the same time …   English contemporary dictionary

  • was mentioned in the same breath with — was talked about together with, was made an integral part of, carried the same weight as …   English contemporary dictionary

  • in the same breath — phrasal see in one breath …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • not to mention in the same breath — not to compare the two, not to hold both to be equal …   English contemporary dictionary

  • in the same breath — idi almost simultaneously …   From formal English to slang

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