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

That meant that their ceremony against the breathtaking ocean backdrop of Palm Beach would have no flowers at all—save for those on the bride’s dress and a singular calla lily in her hand. —Shelby Wax, Vogue, 8 May 2026

However, Chen said her business is still grappling with breathtaking price hikes on everything from packaging to key ingredients like Japanese matcha. —Matt Egan, CNN Money, 7 May 2026

Their property sits in a short valley, with breathtaking views of the mountains in a small clearing. —Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 2 May 2026

Last fall, the cast and crew filmed key scenes throughout Milan (such as the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show) as well as at the breathtaking Villa Balbiano on Lake Como. —Mara Reinstein, Architectural Digest, 1 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