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 Classics No visit to Hong Kong is complete without taking a tour on the Peak Tram, with its vertiginous climb that reveals breathtaking views of the city’s skyline and harbor — plus peaks at successive generations of tram cars preserved on the way. —Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 24 Nov. 2025

This year’s seventh edition unfolded at Doha’s Qatar National Museum, Jean Nouvel’s breathtaking homage to the desert rose, an architectural marvel that stands out even amid the city’s constellation of spectacular buildings. —Tiziana Cardini, Vogue, 23 Nov. 2025

Just an hour away was Coeur D’Alene and its breathtaking, scenic drive of the lake. —Amy Nelson, Twin Cities, 23 Nov. 2025

Acadia, Zion, Rocky Mountain, and Grand Canyon rounded out the top five, with breathtaking seasonal scenery. —Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 23 Nov. 2025

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