breathless

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   Having difficulty breathing

   Having difficulty breathing; gasping.

   • In thoughtless and breathless fear I rushed forward to avoid this host of demons, but while flying thus still more frightful and distorted shapes appeared, and I fancied I felt their hands clutching me.
2. 2

   That makes one hold one's breath (with excitement etc.).

   • By that stage Sevilla were down to 10 men and Jorge Sampaoli, their manager, had been sent to the stands as a breathless encounter started to spiral out of control.
   • The plane buzzed on at a breathless speed. Bob had been in a plane before, and he had no fear. Indeed, but for the strange circumstances, he would have enjoyed that breathless rush through space.
3. 3

   Not breathing

   Not breathing; dead or apparently so.

4. ›+ 2 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      Having no wind

      Having no wind; still, calm or airless.

   2. 5

      Having a somewhat hysterical tone, using over-emotive language.

      • In breathless prose that risks making Dr Pachauri, who will be 70 this year, a laughing stock among the serious, high-minded scientists,
      • The more some of us learn, the harder it gets to take each breathless headline seriously.

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