breathless

adjective

breath·​less ˈbreth-ləs How to pronounce breathless (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Such breathless idealism sounds otherworldly today. Andreas Kluth, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025 This is a story about two young people who find each other, fall madly in love, and are then torn apart by unimaginable disaster — one rendered by the obsessive director in minute, breathless, excruciating detail. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025 After six hours of mistakes, misadventures, indifferent torture and even more indifferent murder, Black Rabbit finally locks in for 90 minutes in the homestretch as the last two episodes become a breathless pursuit through various parts of Brooklyn. Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025 Tragic and redemptive, poetic and provocative, this novel held me breathless at every turn. Julia Hass, Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for breathless

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of breathless was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Breathless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breathless. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

breathless

adjective
breath·​less ˈbreth-ləs How to pronounce breathless (audio)
1
a
: not breathing
2
a
: panting or gasping for breath
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 How to pronounce breathless (audio)
1
: panting or gasping for breath
2
: suffering from dyspnea

More from Merriam-Webster on breathless

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