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

This breathtaking drop in price and time has spawned entire industries, millions of jobs, and hundreds of billions in economic value. —Big Think, 20 Oct. 2025

Among the region’s most breathtaking beaches is Terranea Cove, which features a network of trails that wind along a bluff’s edge and rocky shoreline. —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2025

The rock formations of the Burren in County Clare create a barren but breathtaking landscape that stretches out to the sea. —Bernadette Keith, Travel + Leisure, 19 Oct. 2025

Black Swan excels by offering breathtaking dance choreography, and the film's gorgeous cinematography provides viewers with a tapestry of imagery unparalleled by most psychological horror films. —Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 19 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