breathtaking
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of breathtaking
Explanation
When something is breathtaking, it astonishes or amazes you. A breathtaking work of art can leave you speechless and deeply moved. The adjective breathtaking comes from the earlier phrase "take one's breath away," meaning "leave one breathless with amazement and delight." Anything that produces that feeling in you can be described as breathtaking. You might be astonished at the breathtaking view from the top of a mountain, or moved to tears by a breathtaking film. Beautiful things are often breathtaking.
Vocabulary lists containing breathtaking
Call of Beauty: Synonyms for "Beautiful"
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Wow! Synonyms for "Amazing"
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Amazing
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At last, part of the Lincoln Memorial undercroft opened to the public earlier this summer, immediately taking its place as one of Washington’s most breathtaking attractions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
A standout for decades in a breathtaking array of roles, comedy lead actor nominee Martin Short is the kind of all-around entertainer they don’t make anymore.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
It wasn’t only the breathtaking cinematography or the immediate fantasy of booking a flight to Modena and a table at Osteria Francescana.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
"If you've never seen a total eclipse, it is breathtaking," she said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
A young woman was standing in the doorway, a woman of such breathtaking beauty that the room seemed to have become strangely airless.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
