breathless

adjective

ˈbreth-ləs How to pronounce breathless (audio)
Definition of breathlessnext
1
as in close
lacking fresh air the room was hot and breathless

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rapid
moving, proceeding, or acting with great speed ran at a breathless pace to get help

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fallen
no longer living carried the breathless body of his beloved dog back home

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of breathless 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 Both Charbonneau and Shaver understood how key the breathless moment between Cay and Vivian was to Deitch’s vision — and didn’t have reservations about filming it, despite their agents’ warnings. — Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for breathless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breathless
  1. close
  2. rapid
  3. fallen
  4. suffocating
  5. brisk
  6. dead
  7. stifling
  8. quick
Adjective
  • The play was a no-call, but Clark took exception to the physicality and yelled at the closest official.
    — James Boyd, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • The carrier is flying about 6,500 flights per day this year — nearly an entire Alaska Airlines more worth of travel more than its closest competitor, according to Cirium — yet American’s profit gap has grown.
    — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 19 July 2026
Definition of close
Adjective
  • That design philosophy allows manufacturers to prioritize rapid production, simpler assembly and lower manufacturing costs without compromising mission performance.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 July 2026
  • Patents filed earlier in the 'gold rush' are often granted with broader coverage on average than applications filed later due to the rapid growth in prior art patent filings.
    — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of rapid
Adjective
  • The robot successfully navigated university campuses, forest trails, grassy fields, rocky terrain, staircases, stepping stones, logs, gaps, and fallen branches.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 July 2026
  • The suit accuses the fallen celebrity’s people of failing to provide documents clearing two mortgages, which prevented a clean-title transfer.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
Definition of fallen
Adjective
  • The Valkyries won their third straight game, defeating the Sparks 78-58 behind a suffocating defensive performance.
    — Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
  • The Fleet played a suffocating style of hockey, with a strong forecheck and the ability to wear down opponents with relentless offensive-zone pressure.
    — Hailey Salvian, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Definition of suffocating
Adjective
  • But compared to Four Tet’s largely downbeat 2024 album Three, the new record keeps the tempos brisk and the energy high.
    — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 18 July 2026
  • People in the nation's fittest cities are more likely to take brisk walks or routinely hit the gym.
    — Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 14 July 2026
Definition of brisk
Adjective
  • The second a driving Kieran Tierney run that left Dani Carvajal for dead and again found McTominay crashing into the box.
    — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • Life-threatening flash flooding has hit southern Texas after days of torrential rain, leaving at least two people dead and hundreds of people rescued across the same region struck by last July’s catastrophic floods.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
Definition of dead
Adjective
  • For all the deserved talk about the Knicks’ dynamic offense, the defense has been far more stifling than their reputation suggests.
    — Fred Katz, New York Times, 15 May 2026
  • Her mother, who had a staid upbringing in California, came to New York in the early sixties looking for someplace more diverse and less stifling.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of stifling
Adjective
  • Built on volume and consistency Beyond cones, Handel’s offers hurricanes, shakes, sundaes and specialty creations that turn a quick stop into a full dessert event.
    — Tristan Graziano, Charlotte Observer, 16 July 2026
  • For governments approved for assistance, federal funding could get there quicker — within 30 days of a federal disaster declaration, instead of waiting months or years for reimbursements that are based on proof of expenditures.
    — David A. Lieb, Fortune, 16 July 2026
Definition of quick

Browse Nearby Words

breathing (out)
breathless
breaths
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Breathless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breathless. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on breathless

Nglish: Translation of breathless for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of maverick

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All