breathless

[ breth-lis ]

adjective

1. without breath or breathing with difficulty; gasping; panting:

   We were breathless after the steep climb.

2. with the breath held, as in suspense, astonishment, fear, or the like:

   breathless listeners of the mystery story.

3. causing loss of breath, as from excitement, anticipation, or tension:

   a breathless ride.

4. dead; lifeless.
5. motionless or still, as air without a breeze:

   a breathless summer day.

breathless

/ ˈbrɛθlɪs /

adjective

1. out of breath; gasping, etc
2. holding one's breath or having it taken away by excitement, etc

   a breathless confrontation

3. (esp of the atmosphere) motionless and stifling
4. rare.
   lifeless; dead

Derived Forms

• ˈbreathlessness, noun
• ˈbreathlessly, adverb

Other Words From

• breathless·ly adverb
• breathless·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of breathless¹

First recorded in 1350–1400, breathless is from the Middle English word brethles. See breath, -less

Example Sentences

The page on soup alone contains over 70,000 words from primary sources, cataloged in breathless detail.

From Eater

The sudden acknowledgement that a person you once loved doesn’t exist anymore can knock the wind out of you, and Dunne captures that breathless free fall beautifully.

From Time

It leaves the reader breathless, a deliberate choice by this onetime copy editor, who wants to rush through these excruciating episodes yet convey in lyrical fashion what he feels.

From Washington Post

You might think that Beijing would be desperate to get a break from this breathless aggression.

From Quartz

Although he and Bonet divorced in 1993, social media erupted with breathless praise for this glorious vision of a blended family and wild speculation about the magic of Bonet.

From Essence.com

Suddenly, you are crying, breathless, raging, and on quieter days just going through the motions.

From The Daily Beast

Whether it's breathless coverage of the New Black Panthers, or reports of vote buying in Mississippi, recent examples abound.

From The Daily Beast

At his shows, I remember there being a hushed, breathless anticipation as we waited to see which song Smith would play next.

From The Daily Beast

The community in which you were raised does not gather around the television set every four years for a solid, breathless month.

From The Daily Beast

After a breathless waiting period in which the infected were quarantined, none of the six fell ill.

From The Daily Beast

Again he stopped, but I made no comment, only waited with breathless interest till he went on.

From Project Gutenberg

Phœbe Chiffinch, breathless, is holding Alice Arden's wrist with a firm grasp.

From Project Gutenberg

Walter Fetherston was a writer of breathless mystery—but he was the essence of mystery himself.

From Project Gutenberg

In the privacy of Lawrence's room, Carl told his story—a story that Lawrence listened to breathless attention.

From Project Gutenberg

Light gleamed on the staircase, and breathless voices were wafted up to the two men.

From Project Gutenberg