breathless

[ breth-lis ]
/ ˈbrɛθ lɪs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR breathless ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

without breath or breathing with difficulty; gasping; panting: We were breathless after the steep climb.
with the breath held, as in suspense, astonishment, fear, or the like: breathless listeners of the mystery story.
causing loss of breath, as from excitement, anticipation, or tension: a breathless ride.
dead; lifeless.
motionless or still, as air without a breeze: a breathless summer day.

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Origin of breathless

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

OTHER WORDS FROM breathless

breath·less·ly, adverbbreath·less·ness, noun

Words nearby breathless

breath-holding test, breathing, breathing bag, breathing reserve, breathing space, breathless, breath of fresh air, breath sounds, breathtaking, breath test, breathy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to breathless

blown, exhausted, out of breath, panting, spent, winded, asthmatic, choking, emphysematous, gasping, gulping, short-winded, stertorous, wheezing, agog, anxious, avid, eager, excited, thunderstruck

Example sentences from the Web for breathless

British Dictionary definitions for breathless

breathless
/ (ˈbrɛθlɪs) /

adjective

out of breath; gasping, etc
holding one's breath or having it taken away by excitement, etca breathless confrontation
(esp of the atmosphere) motionless and stifling
rare lifeless; dead

Derived forms of breathless

breathlessly, adverbbreathlessness, 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