breathtaking

adjective

breath·​tak·​ing ˈbreth-ˌtā-kiŋ How to pronounce breathtaking (audio)
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 adverb

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 The Anza Borrego Foundation, for instance, is already posting breathtaking photos of vast wildflower blooms on its Instagram page. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 This breathtaking legacy estate on University Avenue is a rare find and won’t stay on the market for long. Bang Advertising Staff and Correspondents, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 Nezu Museum & Gardens A breathtaking private collection of paintings, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, and armor, housed in an elegant contemporary building designed by Kengo Kuma. Helen Schulman, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024 Explore natural gorges, waterfalls, forests with tall trees, and breathtaking views of nature. Miriam Porter, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 As seen on Tuesday night's episode, the property features breathtaking views of the lake and offers a private deck where guests can soak up the sun or unwind in the hot tub. Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024 The roughly four-hour excursion follows the former Southern Railway’s Murphy Branch Line through the breathtaking Nantahala Gorge and back in time for dinner. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2024 While The Met and Kim Kardashian own the originals, Ziegler, in her little sister dress, brings a legendary collection out of the archives and onto the red carpet, reminding us all of McQueen’s breathtaking work and enduring legacy. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 25 Feb. 2024 While Sobel is not a total unknown, her breathtaking Milky Way often hangs at the Museum of Modern Art, and her work is held by other prestigious institutions, someone would have to be a deeply serious art nerd to be familiar with the name today. Chadd Scott, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'breathtaking.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of breathtaking was in 1840

Dictionary Entries Near breathtaking

Cite this Entry

“Breathtaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breathtaking. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

breathtaking

adjective
breath·​tak·​ing ˈbreth-ˌtā-kiŋ How to pronounce breathtaking (audio)
1
: making one out of breath
breathtaking speed
2
: exciting, thrilling
breathtaking beauty
breathtakingly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on breathtaking

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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