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 of breathtaking

• 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

Each venue offers a breathtaking experience that is unrivaled. —Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 29 May 2026

The scenery was breathtaking, but the thought of the approaching dusk loomed large in our minds. —Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 May 2026

Across America takes guests aboard the familiar ride system that mimics the sensation of flying with breathtaking views of the beauty and wonder of the United States, including Hawaii and Mount Rushmore. —Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 28 May 2026

Astrophotographer Greg Meyer has shared a breathtaking new view of the iconic Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33) rearing its head 1,600 light-years from Earth in the constellation Orion. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 28 May 2026

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