breathless
Americanadjective
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without breath or breathing with difficulty; gasping; panting.
We were breathless after the steep climb.
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with the breath held, as in suspense, astonishment, fear, or the like.
breathless listeners of the mystery story.
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causing loss of breath, as from excitement, anticipation, or tension.
a breathless ride.
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dead; lifeless.
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motionless or still, as air without a breeze.
a breathless summer day.
adjective
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out of breath; gasping, etc
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holding one's breath or having it taken away by excitement, etc
a breathless confrontation
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(esp of the atmosphere) motionless and stifling
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rare lifeless; dead
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of breathless
First recorded in 1350–1400, breathless is from the Middle English word brethles. See breath, -less
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.
It reminds me of how, recently, my younger sister — deep in the trials and tribulations of planning her wedding look — called me sounding breathless and almost conspiratorial.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
It was a breathless display that left the 80,000 fans lucky to be inside the stadium asking: is anyone capable of stopping France's Class of 2026?
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
“Clash of Nations” puts enormous emphasis on the state of race relations in the America of Joe Louis—Delbert Hunt’s earnest narration recounts a lot of sins that probably don’t need quite the breathless review.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 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
More than once, I had woken from dreams of him, trembling and breathless.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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.
