breathless

adjective

breath·​less ˈbreth-ləs 

1

a

: not breathing

b

: dead

2

a

: panting or gasping for breath

b

: gripped with emotion

breathless in anticipation

c

: intense, gripping

breathless eagerness

breathless prose

d

: very rapid or strenuous

go at a breathless pace

e

: marked by intense or unremitting activity

a breathless schedule

3

: oppressive because of no fresh air or breeze

breathlessly adverb

breathlessness noun

Synonyms of breathless

• close
• suffocating
• stifling
• stuffy

Examples of breathless in a Sentence

They were breathless with anticipation.

I watched them in breathless wonder.

She describes the scene in breathless prose.

He drove at a breathless pace.

Recent Examples on the Web

The press is breathless at the moment with predictions that if the conflict in Iran is not resolved before November’s midterms, Americans will turn on Republicans, ensuring Democrats seize control of both the House and the Senate. — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 10 Sep. 2026

The award nominations and the breathless reviews are coming in hot with this one; so too the contrarian backlash. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026

The documentary’s editors — Justin Krook, Collin Kriner and RJ Buckley — have a good sense of what moments to showcase and how long to dwell on them, ensuring that for audiences of a hale constitution, breathless excitement outweighs nausea. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026

Released in 2025, the first part of Julia Loktev’s monumental documentary project My Undesirable Friends, subtitled Last Air in Moscow, gave us a sprawling, breathless look at a few devastating months in the lives of Russian journalists. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for breathless

• deathless

Kids Definition

breathless

adjective

breath·​less ˈbreth-ləs 

1

a

: not breathing

b

: dead entry 1 sense 1

2

a

: panting or gasping for breath

b

: breathtaking sense 1

3

: difficult to bear because of lack of fresh air or breeze

a hot breathless day

breathlessly adverb

breathlessness noun

Medical Definition

breathless

adjective

breath·​less ˈbreth-ləs 

1

: panting or gasping for breath

2

: suffering from dyspnea