So beautiful, impressive, or extraordinary that it momentarily overwhelms attention.
Reach for it when giving strong praise to a view, performance, skill, or achievement
The restored ceiling revealed a breathtaking field of painted stars.
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm |
|
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
playful
Fits when informal amazement is welcome
Not when the setting calls for restrained or respectful language
everyday
Fits when immediate visual impact is the main response
Not when quiet beauty grows gradually on the viewer
warm
Fits when wonder and reverence are the feelings
Not when simple attractive praise is sufficient
professional
Fits when the quality deserves attention without emotional excess
Not when the response truly is overwhelming
professional
Fits when scale and display create the impression
Not when intimate emotional power matters more than show
formal
Fits when grandeur and high quality deserve dignity
Not when surprise rather than majesty defines the reaction
literary
Fits when intense beauty suits a heightened style
Not when the subject is an achievement rather than appearance
breathtaking view
The final turn revealed a breathtaking view across the flooded plain.
breathtaking beauty
The cave's breathtaking beauty depended on light no brighter than a candle.
breathtaking performance
Her breathtaking performance held the hall silent through the final note.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated
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