breathless

American  

[breth-lis] / ˈbrɛθ lɪs /

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.

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breathless British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• breathlessness
  noun
• breathlessly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of breathless

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

breathless

“I feel suffocated and breathless when it is too hot,” she says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

The breathless rally seen this year among semiconductor and memory stocks may be based on a flawed understanding of company AI usage.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 1, 2026

The announcement resembled Colossal’s rollout of the “dire wolf” pups: Publications that had received guided tours of its lab produced breathless articles taking Colossal’s claims at face value, generally lacking skeptical commentary by unaffiliated biologists.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026

Researchers say blood pressure and blood sugar control improve for 24-48 hours after a workout that pushes you hard enough to become breathless for several minutes.

From Science Daily ● May 16, 2026

As Francis and Eric are busy guessing which cards the audience members have drawn, I hear footsteps up the stairs and Leticia appears breathless behind me.

From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon