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

Sensoria also offers helicopter rides for aerial eyefuls of this breathtaking landscape. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026

From the Hells Canyon area, to the mountains and forests in North Idaho, to the breathtaking views in the Bitterroot Mountains, the couple saw Idaho in all its glory. — Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 20 Oct. 2026

Its final shot, in which Brzeska accepts her role as the keeper of her companion’s legacy, an image that acknowledges the inseparability of their art and life, is breathtaking. — Juan A. Ramírez, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2026

The chief determinant of that unlikely success has been not individual genius in the lab, or individual prowess in the boardroom, but collective planning and coördination at a breathtaking scale. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 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