Dictionary

breathless en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈbɹɛθləs/
• (Mid-Atlantic, US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree English breath Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Proto-Germanic *-lausaz Proto-West Germanic *-laus Old English -lēas Middle English -les English -less English breathless From breath + -less.

Meanings

1. 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. 1886, Peter Christen Asbjø￵rnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 281:
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. 2017 March 14, Stuart James, “Leicester stun Sevilla to reach last eight after Kasper Schmeichel save”, in the Guardian:
   • 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. 1934, Frank Richards, The Magnet: The Mystery of the Vaults:
3. Not breathing; dead or apparently so.
4. Having no wind; still, calm or airless.
5. Having a somewhat hysterical tone, using over-emotive language.
   • The more some of us learn, the harder it gets to take each breathless headline seriously. 2018 May 21, T.A. Frank, “Has The Don Jr. bombshell blown up the Trump-Russia case?”, in Vanity Fair:
   • In breathless prose that risks making Dr Pachauri, who will be 70 this year, a laughing stock among the serious, high-minded scientists, 2010 January 30, Robert Mendick, Amrit Dhillon, “Revealed: the racy novel written by the worlds most powerful climate scientist”, in Daily Telegraph:

Forms

Deriveds

breathlessness · breathlessly

Translations (43)

sv tappa andan (having difficulty breathing; gasping) · eo senspira (having difficulty breathing; gasping) · es jadeante (having difficulty breathing; gasping) · es sin aliento (having difficulty breathing; gasping) · mr निष्प्राण (not breathing; apparently dead) · ar لَاهِث (having difficulty breathing; gasping) · sv andfådd (having difficulty breathing; gasping) · grc ἄπνοος (not breathing; apparently dead) · el ξέπνοος (not breathing; apparently dead) · mr श्वास रोकणारी (that makes one hold one's breath) · bg задъхващ се (having difficulty breathing; gasping) · el άπνους (not breathing; apparently dead) · eo anhela (having difficulty breathing; gasping) · pt ofegar (that makes one hold one's breath) · mr श्वास रोकणारा (that makes one hold one's breath) · ru безве́тренный (having no wind; still, calm or airless) · ar مَبْهُور (having difficulty breathing; gasping) · ru неподви́жный (having no wind; still, calm or airless) · hy անշունչ (not breathing; apparently dead) · fi tyyni (having no wind; still, calm or airless) · mi tūngāngā (having difficulty breathing; gasping) · af asemloos (having difficulty breathing; gasping) · ru запы́хавшийся (having difficulty breathing; gasping) · ar مَقْطُوع النَّفَس (having difficulty breathing; gasping) · ar مُنْقَطِع النَّفَس (having difficulty breathing; gasping) · bg със затаен дъх (that makes one hold one's breath) · la exanimis (having difficulty breathing; gasping) · bg бездиханен (not breathing; apparently dead) · ru задыха́ющийся (having difficulty breathing; gasping) · fi hengetön (not breathing; apparently dead) · sv andlös (that makes one hold one's breath) · mi hēmanawa (having difficulty breathing; gasping) · fi henkeäsalpaava (that makes one hold one's breath) · sv tappa andan (that makes one hold one's breath) · ru затаи́вший дыха́ние/дух (that makes one hold one's breath) · fi hengästynyt (having difficulty breathing; gasping) · mr श्वास रोकणारे (that makes one hold one's breath) · bg задъхан (having difficulty breathing; gasping) · af asemloos (that makes one hold one's breath) · bg неподвижен (having no wind; still, calm or airless) · de atemlos (that makes one hold one's breath) · ru бездыха́нный (not breathing; apparently dead) · de atemlos (having difficulty breathing; gasping)