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

The result is a one-of-a-kind dining experience set against some of New Zealand’s most breathtaking scenery. — Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Despite his age, Messi is still blessed with breathtaking skill, and is also fiercely competitive, even at training. — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026

Mammoth Lakes and Truckee near Lake Tahoe are all-season destinations offering breathtaking hikes in the warmer months and skiing in the winter. — Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 1 July 2026

Thankfully, since it was converted to a hotel in the early ’90s (and later taken over by the Kempinski luxury hotel group), anyone who takes a room here can now enjoy its breathtaking opulence. — Liam Hess, Vogue, 1 July 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