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Synonyms

breathtaking

American  
[breth-tey-king] / ˈbrɛθˌteɪ kɪŋ /

adjective

  1. thrillingly beautiful, remarkable, astonishing, exciting, or the like.

    a breathtaking performance.
breathtaking British  
/ ˈbrɛθˌteɪkɪŋ /

adjective

  1. causing awe or excitement

    a breathtaking view
"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

Other Word Forms

  • breathtakingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of breathtaking

First recorded in 1875–80; breath + take + -ing 2

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.

They bought a house in El Valle de Anton, a beautiful town known for exotic wildlife, breathtaking treks, and fresh mountain air.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

Gold’s breathtaking rally in 2025 was fueled by optimism about falling interest rates.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

Southern California, especially Los Angeles, has many breathtaking botanical gardens and wildflower-lined hiking trails.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

While England fans will be scratching their heads over a sub-par championship, France's followers can celebrate an eighth Six Nations title win that came courtesy of some breathtaking play.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

Beside it was a breathtaking picture of his sister Elsie, standing in front of a white porch railing next to a basket of dried flowers.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

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.