breathtaking

adjective

breath·​tak·​ing ˈbreth-ˌtā-kiŋ 

1

: causing one to breathe rapidly or with difficulty : making one out of breath

a breathtaking pain in her side

2

a

: exciting, thrilling

a breathtaking race

b

: very great : astonishing

his breathtaking ignorance

breathtakingly

ˈbreth-ˌtā-kiŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• exciting
• thrilling
• interesting
• intriguing
• inspiring

Examples of breathtaking in a Sentence

The train raced past with breathtaking speed.

They gave a breathtaking performance.

The view of the mountains was breathtaking.

a scene of breathtaking beauty

The scope of the error is breathtaking.

Recent Examples on the Web

Relax in spacious guest rooms replete with Japanese décor, floor to ceiling windows, and breathtaking mountain range vistas. —Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025

But perhaps the biggest star of the season — even more than Reedus and McBride — is the gorgeous Spanish countryside scenery, which the series shows off every step of the way with incredible, breathtaking locations. —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 26 Aug. 2025

Devils Fork State Park sits within the Jocassee Gorges, an area filled with steep rock walls, valleys, and breathtaking waterfalls. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 23 Aug. 2025

For the special occasion, Brown wore four bridal looks, including a breathtaking custom Galia Lahav gown with intricate lace detail for her walk down the aisle. —Michelle Lee, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for breathtaking

• awaking
• backbreaking
• bookmaking
• brickmaking
• caretaking
• dressmaking
• filmmaking
• forsaking
• glassmaking
• groundbreaking
• haymaking
• heartbreaking

Kids Definition

breathtaking

adjective

breath·​tak·​ing ˈbreth-ˌtā-kiŋ 

1

: making one out of breath

breathtaking speed

2

: exciting, thrilling

breathtaking beauty

breathtakingly

-kiŋ-lē 

adverb