breathless

adjective

breath·​less ˈbreth-ləs How to pronounce breathless (audio)
1
a
: not breathing
b
: dead
2
a
: panting or gasping for breath
b
: gripped with emotion
breathless in anticipation
c
: intense, gripping
breathless eagerness
breathless prose
d
: very rapid or strenuous
go at a breathless pace
e
: marked by intense or unremitting activity
a breathless schedule
3
: oppressive because of no fresh air or breeze
breathlessly adverb
breathlessness noun

Examples of breathless in a Sentence

They were breathless with anticipation. I watched them in breathless wonder. She describes the scene in breathless prose. He drove at a breathless pace.
Recent Examples on the Web Jerry Coyne has a post up which critiques an extremely breathless review of a new book, Epigenetics Revolution. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 24 Aug. 2011 One, perpetuated by television, the more breathless elements of the print media, the Premier League itself, and the many and varied financial firms for whom the staggering wealth of English soccer represents an opportunity, has been celebratory. Rory Smith, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2023 During the nominating window, however, a slew of celebrities, among them Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Edward Norton, and Jennifer Aniston, rose up to support Riseborough, hosting screenings and posting breathless social-media testimonials. Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2023 Does the claim sound too breathless, too credulous, too hyperbolic? Corey S Powell, Discover Magazine, 27 Aug. 2015 Fabian staged the scene to get that breathless performance out of Manville. Vulture, 11 Aug. 2022 Romo and play-by-play partner Jim Nantz had been breathless throughout the game’s final 10 minutes, with the former Cowboys quarterback occasionally left to yelling. Dallas News, 16 Jan. 2022 All those breathless headlines about two-timing remote workers–and the traditionalist executives who buy into them–ignore the underlying probabilistic base rate, meaning the actual likelihood of this scenario. Bygleb Tsipursky, Fortune, 20 Dec. 2022 Alas, the public's mind is most concentrated in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, when perspective narrows and the coverage is often breathless. Keith Kloor, Discover Magazine, 2 Mar. 2012

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'breathless.' 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

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of breathless was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near breathless

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

breathless

adjective
breath·​less ˈbreth-ləs How to pronounce breathless (audio)
1
a
: not breathing
2
a
: panting or gasping for breath
3
: difficult to bear because of lack of fresh air or breeze
a hot breathless day
breathlessly adverb
breathlessness noun

Medical Definition

breathless

adjective
breath·​less ˈbreth-ləs How to pronounce breathless (audio)
1
: panting or gasping for breath
2
: suffering from dyspnea

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