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

The NME, by contrast, was left breathless by the star's physical prowess.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

In a blink, she lands on the floor, breathless.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

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

In the deluge of emails and comments we have received over the past 24 hours, we were accused of breathless hype, shocking ignorance and peddling what one reader described as “absolute rubbish.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

Twig and I ran after him, breathless while we waited for his analysis, and then he shouted, “It’s alive!”

From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller