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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

“A defining highlight of the first floor is the breathtaking loggia, opening to a 100-foot west-facing terrace that frames unobstructed river views,” the listing notes.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

This idea was breathtaking, and revolutionary even in a world of political revolutions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

“AI is evolving at breathtaking speed, and combining cutting-edge tech with ambitious creative thinking means we’re not following an industry playbook at Xicoia — we are writing it.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

After the Cambrian explosion, exquisite new adaptations followed one another with comparatively breathtaking speed.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

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.