breathtaking

adjective breath·tak·ing \ ˈbreth-ˌtā-kiŋ \

Definition of breathtaking

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

play \-kiŋ-lē\ adverb

See breathtaking defined for English-language learners

See breathtaking defined for kids

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 of breathtaking from the Web

Safdie and his co-director brother, Josh, stage this doomed heist in breathtaking fashion, as Connie and Nick make every mistake in the book.

— david lewis, idahostatesman, "Pattinson takes big acting leap in good but not great “Good Time”," 24 Aug. 2017
Enjoy exquisite local and international wine, delicious food, local craft beer, live entertainment, and breathtaking views.

— rasputin todd, Cincinnati.com, "Things to do this week: Aug. 21-27," 21 Aug. 2017
Head to her feed for fine paintings of classic characters as well as breathtaking scenic design from films such as Frozen, Moana, and Tangled.

— gregory e. miller, Cosmopolitan, "7 Actual Disney Artists You Need to Follow on Instagram Right Now," 7 Aug. 2017
And the prices for these watches are quite breathtaking: just $4,900 on a strap and $5,100 on a bracelet.

— jack forster, Bloomberg.com, "Five New Watches Under $6,000 That Punch Far Above Their Weight," 4 Aug. 2017
One of the first stories to be told is of the breathtaking work done by the firefighters and smokejumpers that protect these remote lands, courtesy of photographer Cole Barash.

— stephen watson, Esquire, "Filson's New Watch Is an Ode to the American Wilderness," 4 Aug. 2017
The breathtaking speed of change in China has reached the world’s most popular game.

— tariq panja, Bloomberg.com, "Soccer Balls and China’s Billions," 13 July 2017
America’s Got Talent Finalist Derek Hughes hosts a spectacular evening of world famous magic featuring the elegant dramatic fast costume changes of David and Dania; Maestro Voronin, the breathtaking illusions of Canada’s Murray Hatfield and more.

— kirby adams, The Courier-Journal, "Better than pulling a rabbit out of a hat, reporter disappears after entering a box," 13 July 2017
Its timeless spirit and breathtaking form refer to our distant past while looking forward to the future.

— diane bell, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Diane Bell items for july 6," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'breathtaking.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.