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

That suggests that the filmmaker and performer is not on the general public’s radar in as big a way as the breathless media coverage suggests. — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026

Rodriguez was still breathless during the post dance interviews. — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026

Suspended against the luminous moon, the eagle becomes a timeless presence in the cold, breathless vastness of the alpine night. — New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2026

The movie, examining the rise of Sam Altman (played by Andrew Garfield) and OpenAI, was dropped by Amazon MGM earlier this year, leading to a scramble for a new buyer before Neon stepped in — and breathless speculation about the movie’s contents. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 17 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