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 of heart-stopping

• 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

Argentina fans on the streets for a heart-stopping match against Cape Verde. — Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026

The first two movies established themselves as genre classics, combining heart-stopping action with futuristic sci-fi that explored the threat of AI bringing about an apocalypse. — Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 3 July 2026

Extreme heat this week has Chicago-area households facing a brutal double-whammy—staying safely cool without triggering a heart-stopping electric bill. — Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 29 June 2026

Austria ended up tying Algeria 3-3 but only after a frenetic and heart-stopping few minutes before the final whistle. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 28 June 2026

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