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

It’s perched on a cliff with truly breathtaking views of the Sir Francis Drake Channel. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026

One Battle After Another's Teyana Taylor looked breathtaking, thanks to makeup artist Yeika Glow. —Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 16 Mar. 2026

These exclusive areas include the breathtaking, two-story library that somehow manages to be both regal and cozy. —Rebecca Deurlein, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 2026

These days, Luray makes an ideal home base for weekend fall foliage drives along the park’s breathtaking Skyline Drive and longer warm-weather vacations full of outdoor adventures from river kayaking and tubing to horseback riding, cycling, and hiking. —Erica Silverstein, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 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