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

• 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

Dreaming of a relaxing vacation with breathtaking views? —Sacbee.com, 26 Oct. 2025

With breathtaking cinematography and subtle sound design viewers are given a glimpse into a world visited by very few people. —Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025

The four of them explore breathtaking destinations across the African continent including Cape Town, South Africa; Victoria Falls and Harare, Zimbabwe; and Zanzibar, Tanzania. —Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 24 Oct. 2025

The Mediterranean La Baia in Plymouth has it all – from classic lamb to grape leaves with a breathtaking view of the sea, albeit Plymouth Harbor (just as lovely). —Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 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