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

• 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

Arsenic and Old Lace moves at a breathless pace with our leading man's escalating horrific discoveries. —Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025

The breathless discussion about that photograph felt almost like a yearning for the past, when consensus could be built through celluloid. —Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025

In this guise, Saverino is breathless with excitement. —Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 14 Oct. 2025

The sensational turn in the case fueled breathless news coverage as the public became hungry for any revelation about the brothers’ motives or the dark secrets that had been festering inside the Menendez family home. —Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025

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