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Glite Dictionary
breathlessly

breathlessly

13 4.0
In a way that shows you have little air because you feel excited, scared, or very tired
  • adverb
  • /ˈbrɛθləsli/
translation icon : sin aliento
  • Everybody waited breathlessly to see if a bunch of dead guys in a can would pop out the other side.

I spent the whole evening breathlessly watching John King and Steve Kornacki with their touch screens after dark.

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Examples

  • The U.S. media breathlessly proclaims that Mexico is on the brink.

    Academic text (2009)

  • "Can you teach me how?" she asked breathlessly, her eyes sparkling.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • The American Enterprise Institute, too, has been waiting breathlessly for this moment.

    Academic text (2016)

  • The book, NASA said a bit breathlessly, is about...

  • If you see that cute guy downstairs, you tell him I'm up here waiting, breathlessly.

    Doom Asylum (1988)

  • I can call you and let you know how it goes," Jory said breathlessly.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • I spent the whole evening breathlessly watching John King and Steve Kornacki with their touch screens after dark.

    The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

  • Once again in control of her vocal cords, Hallie answered breathlessly, "Thanks, Bill."

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Everyone is breathlessly awaiting... the arrival of Lina Lamont and Don Lockwood.

    Singin' in the Rain (1952)

  • She ran breathlessly to the finish line, thrilled at her time.

Synonyms

windedly
vsbreathlessly
9.1

In a way that shows a person is breathing hard after effort or shock

is used for lack of breath from excitement fear or exertion
breathless with excitement
vsbreathlessly
4.6

You are so excited that you cannot breathe normally

is broader covering lack of breath from fear or exertion too
gaspingly
vsbreathlessly
8.4

With short, quick breaths after hard exercise

is more general indicating lack of breath from several causes
pantingly
vsbreathlessly
7.7

In a way that shows quick, heavy breathing from effort or excitement

is about inability to breathe normally rather than steady heavy breaths

Antonyms

calmly
110 1.0

In a calm, steady way without showing anger or nervousness

How Breathless

gaspingly
8.4
breathlessly
13 4.0
excitedly
27 1.0
calmly
110 1.0

Surface Forms

breathlessly positive
breathlessly comparative
breathlessly superlative

Morphology

breathlessly = breathless (transparent) = breath + less + ly

The adverb is a regular -ly formation from 'breathless', which itself is transparently 'breath' + '-less'.

Etymology

The word breathlessly comes from three parts: breath (the 'air in your lungs'), -less ('without'), and -ly (which makes a word describe how something is done). So breathlessly literally means 'in a way without breath', and that is why we use it for people or actions with no breath because of excitement, fear, or hard effort.