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

And residents think of it as just another part of island life — a minor inconvenience for small-town community charm, breathtaking views and a break from the hustle of much of the rest of Southern California. — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026

It’s all arranged with the breathtaking efficiency of a father of four Tetris-ing luggage into a sensible, midsize sedan. — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026

And this week, our story about the dwindling water levels in Lake Powell, the country’s second-largest reservoir, shows breathtaking expanses of dry canyon plunging to a shrinking, narrow ribbon of teal green. — Stephanie Hanes, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Oct. 2026

Roku Streaming Device Deal The Roku Ultra 4K streaming device delivers ultra-fast, smooth streaming performance with breathtaking 4K resolution, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+ for vibrant picture clarity. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 1 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