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 park offers unique experiences such as stargazing, ranger programs, and breathtaking views from hiking trails. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 1 Dec. 2025

As breathtaking as the night sky is, there's no denying that actually tracking down stellar objects, whether for observation or astrophotography, can take some work. —Chris McMullen, Space.com, 28 Nov. 2025

Or to see breathtaking fall foliage as temperatures start to drop, as summer turns to fall. —Heather Bien, Southern Living, 26 Nov. 2025

The Milan Cortina Paralympics — the 50th anniversary of the first Winter Paralympic Games — start in 100 days in breathtaking style with an opening ceremony at Verona Arena, a nearly 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheater. —Nick Zaccardi, NBC news, 26 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