Synonyms of breathless

breathless

adjective

ˈbreth-ləs 

1

as in close

lacking fresh air

the room was hot and breathless

Synonyms & Similar Words

• close
• suffocating
• stifling
• stuffy
• thick
• heavy
• airless
• oppressive
• unventilated
• fuggy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• breezy
• sweet
• airy
• refreshing
• brisk
• bracing
• reviving
• restorative
• unstuffy
• refreshed
• invigorating
• ventilated

2

as in rapid

moving, proceeding, or acting with great speed

ran at a breathless pace to get help

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rapid
• brisk
• quick
• galloping
• fast
• whirlwind
• swift
• rattling
• dizzy
• hurried
• hasty
• rapid-fire
• blistering
• speedy
• hot
• lightning
• flying
• breakneck
• rushed
• splitting
• zippy
• snappy
• fleet
• accelerated
• breathtaking
• nippy
• fleet-footed
• at speed
• vigorous
• expeditious
• ready
• prompt
• rush
• quickened
• strong
• strenuous
• energetic
• hastened
• high-speed
• ultrafast
• ultrarapid

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• slow
• sluggish
• languid
• crawling
• unhurried
• dragging
• lingering
• plodding
• leisurely
• deliberate
• poky
• laggard
• dallying
• late
• measured
• tardy
• dilatory
• slowish
• dawdling
• dillydallying
• poking
• ultraslow

3

as in fallen

no longer living

carried the breathless body of his beloved dog back home

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fallen
• dead
• late
• deceased
• lifeless
• low
• asleep
• gone
• cold
• dying
• departed
• extinct
• demised
• defunct
• bitten the dust
• fading
• moribund
• terminated
• finished
• lapsed
• insensate
• stillborn
• inanimate
• nonliving

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• breathing
• quick
• live
• alive
• living
• going
• dynamic
• lively
• vital
• active
• vibrant
• animate
• animated
• operative
• vivacious
• functioning
• thriving
• running

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of breathless

For all the breathless coverage devoted to celebrity engagements, weddings, and whirlwind divorces, some of Hollywood’s most enduring love stories involve couples who never bothered with the paperwork. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026

Some of the more breathless estimates bandied about in the last weeks range up into seven figures. — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Last night, England played its first game of the tournament—a rematch against Croatia, in Dallas—and the defensive prowess was a speck on the horizon; both sides scored twice in a breathless first half. — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 18 June 2026

She’s also written about women’s basketball for The Believer, and recently published a breathless Knicks play-by-play for SB Nation. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 18 June 2026