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

Set the scene After taking a breathtaking ride through sweeping mountaintops on the Gornergrat Railway, Europe's highest open-air cogwheel railway, guests arrive in Andermatt—a fairly sleepy Swiss town. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Jan. 2026

That breathtaking pace makes the recent deadly crash between two high-speed trains in Spain even more alarming. —Ben Jones, CNN Money, 26 Jan. 2026

From town, take the Freccia nel Cielo cable cars up to the Cima Tofana, the third-highest peak in the Dolomites, for mozzafiato (breathtaking) views at 10,640 feet. —Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 25 Jan. 2026

Sets like Hobbiton and Rivendell (a home for some elves) are breathtaking, the makeup and prosthetics of the orcs still terrifying, and the costumes ethereal and otherworldly. —Charlotte Observer, 23 Jan. 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