as i live and breathe
/æz aɪ lɪv ænd bɹið/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.24 in modern English
26
Scrabble Score
17
Letters
1
Syllables
12
Unique Chars
Meaning
phrase
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see as, I, live, and, breathe.
Example Sentences
- "Dear Ma'am, why will you chagrine yourſelf about a vile Man, that is not worth,—no, as I live and breathe,—not worth a ſingle Sigh?—"
- "[O]ch, as I live and breathe, I would consider myself worse than the beast of the field, if I would be so ungrateful to my lady, who is now in distress."
- "I hid in one of the empty rooms, and I saw you go by, yes, and as I live and breathe, Liscom Truro, I saw my father following you."
- "As I live and breathe and eat here in the Wayfarers Inn on this August 21, 1999, I swear to you they're authentic, but of course anything I'd swear wouldn't be worth anything anyway, would it?"
- "As I live and breathe, Thomas, you will not flourish unless you are part of our brotherhood. I swear that on all the saints."
- "Eh? What? Mercy alive! Hilda—Hilda, look here! Bab, as I live and breathe!"
Etymology
Originally a reference to the speaker’s statement being as true as the fact that the speaker is alive (see sense 1).
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /æz aɪ lɪv ænd bɹið/
- British English: /æz aɪ lɪv ænd bɹiːð/
Usage
Synonyms
as I live
I declare