heart-stopping

adjective

heart-stop·​ping ˈhärt-ˌstä-piŋ 

: extremely shocking or exciting

a heart-stopping adventure

heart-stopping views

heart-stoppingly adverb

a heart-stoppingly suspenseful film

a heart-stoppingly beautiful view

Synonyms

• breathtaking
• exciting
• thrilling
• interesting

Examples of heart-stopping in a Sentence

the movie's climax is a heart-stopping chase through the streets of San Francisco

Recent Examples on the Web

The series explores the high-pressure experiences of first responders — including police officers, firefighters, and dispatchers — who are thrust into the most frightening, shocking, and heart-stopping situations. —Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025

Losing sight of a dog during a walk can be a heart-stopping experience for any pet owner. —Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025

On the silver screen, Chris Pine has played heart-stopping action heroes. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 29 Sep. 2025

The summit brings heart-stopping views of glacial valleys, sky-high waterfalls plunging through the rocky cliffs, and cascades of water far below. —Rebecca Deurlein, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for heart-stopping

• eavesdropping
• outcropping
• sharecropping
• chopping
• copping
• cropping
• dropping
• flopping
• hopping
• lopping
• mopping
• popping