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breathtaking, adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary Skip to main content Factsheet Etymology Meaning & use Pronunciation Frequency Compounds & derived words Dictionary Historical Thesaurus Factsheet Quotations Hide all quotations Factsheet What does the adjective breathtaking mean? There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective breathtaking . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. See meaning & use How common is the adjective breathtaking ? About 1 occurrence per million words in modern written English 1850 0.0016 1860 0.0036 1870 0.0071 1880 0.01 1890 0.014 1900 0.021 1910 0.058 1920 0.19 1930 0.46 1940 0.67 1950 0.77 1960 0.74 1970 0.82 1980 1.0 1990 1.3 2000 1.5 2010 1.5 See frequency What is the etymology of the adjective breathtaking ? breathtaking is formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: breath n. , taking adj. See etymology What is the earliest known use of the adjective breathtaking ? Earliest known use 1840s The earliest known use of the adjective breathtaking is in the 1840s. OED's earliest evidence for breathtaking is from 1840, in Cambridge Independent Press . See meaning & use How is the adjective breathtaking pronounced? British English /ˈbrɛθˌteɪkɪŋ/ BRETH-tay-king U.S. English /ˈbrɛθˌteɪkɪŋ/ BRETH-tay-king See pronunciation Nearby entries breathless, adj. a1398– breathlessly, adv. 1797– breathlessness, n. 1612– breath mint, n. 1912– breath room, n. 1667– breath-seller, n. 1601–82 breath sound, n. 1819– breath spray, n. 1952– breath strip, n. 1997– breath-tainted, adj. a1644 breathtaking, adj. 1840– breathtakingly, adv. 1887– breath test, n. 1861– breath-test, v. 1964– breath testing, n. 1927– breath-testing, adj. 1927– breathwork, n. 1972– breathy, adj. 1528– breccia, n. 1774– breccial, adj. 1853– brecciate, v. 1903– Browse more nearby entries Etymology Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content. 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View our subscription options Personal account Access or purchase personal subscriptions Get our newsletter Save searches Set display preferences Sign in Register Institutional access Sign in through your institution Sign in with library card Sign in with username / password Recommend to your librarian Institutional account management Sign in as administrator on Oxford Academic Entry history for breathtaking, adj. Originally published as part of the entry for breath, n. breathtaking, adj. was revised in December 2020. breathtaking, adj. was last modified in March 2025. Revision of the OED is a long-term project, and oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include: corrections and revisions to definitions, especially to improve clarity, accuracy, or intelligibility; new or updated quotation evidence, and reverified or redated bibliographical information; new or updated pronunciations (transcriptions and audio files); new or revised etymological information and improved coverage of variant spellings; new senses or phrases added in print and online updates since OED2 (1989). Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into breathtaking, adj. in March 2025. Earlier versions of this entry were published in: OED First Edition (1888) Find out more OED Second Edition (1989) Find out more View breath in OED Second Edition Cite Permanent link: Chicago 18 Oxford English Dictionary , “ ,” , . Copy to clipboard Copied to clipboard MLA 9 “ ” Oxford English Dictionary , Oxford UP, , . Copy to clipboard Copied to clipboard APA 7 Oxford University Press. (n.d.). In Oxford English dictionary . Retrieved , from Copy to clipboard Copied to clipboard Select format to download citation .ris (Papers, Zotero) .enw (EndNote) .txt (RefWorks) Download Contribute Please submit your feedback for breathtaking, adj. Please include your email address if you are happy to be contacted about your feedback. OUP will not use this email address for any other purpose. Section (required) Factsheet Etymology Meaning & use Pronunciation Frequency Compounds & derived words Other Feedback (required) Submit Citation details Factsheet for breathtaking, adj. Browse entry Nearby entries breathless, adj. a1398– breathlessly, adv. 1797– breathlessness, n. 1612– breath mint, n. 1912– breath room, n. 1667– breath-seller, n. 1601–82 breath sound, n. 1819– breath spray, n. 1952– breath strip, n. 1997– breath-tainted, adj. a1644 breathtaking, adj. 1840– breathtakingly, adv. 1887– breath test, n. 1861– breath-test, v. 1964– breath testing, n. 1927– breath-testing, adj. 1927– breathwork, n. 1972– breathy, adj. 1528– breccia, n. 1774– breccial, adj. 1853– brecciate, v. 1903– Browse more nearby entries