breathless

[ breth-lis ]
See synonyms for breathless on Thesaurus.com
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.

  1. causing loss of breath, as from excitement, anticipation, or tension: a breathless ride.

  2. dead; lifeless.

  3. motionless or still, as air without a breeze: a breathless summer day.

Origin of breathless

1
First recorded in 1350–1400, breathless is from the Middle English word brethles.See breath, -less

Other words from breathless

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use breathless in a sentence

  • At sight of Monsieur Gaubert, running so breathlessly, he started forward, wondering and uneasy.

    St. Martin's Summer | Rafael Sabatini
  • Just then Jess was aroused from her brown 15 study by hearing somebody calling breathlessly after her.

  • There were few afternoons when a ring of spectators did not surround the table, breathlessly watching the champions.

    Scattergood Baines | Clarence Budington Kelland
  • "Never mind them," said Amy, leaning a little breathlessly toward Betty.

  • He crushed the paper in his hand and hurried breathlessly westward at the top of his speed.

    The Weight of the Crown | Fred M. White

British Dictionary definitions for breathless

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

  1. (esp of the atmosphere) motionless and stifling

  2. rare lifeless; dead

Derived forms of breathless

  • breathlessly, adverb
  • breathlessness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012