breathlessly

breathlessly — adverb

1. in a manner that involves breathing with difficulty, especially after fast movem

1.副詞B2
釋義

in a manner that involves breathing with difficulty, especially after fast movement, hard physical effort, or a sudden shock that affects your breathing.

例句

After running up three flights of stairs, Saira arrived breathlessly at the meeting room.

breathlessly + arrived after physical exertion

Caio breathlessly described the car accident he had just witnessed on the highway.

同義詞
  • pantingly

    more specific — focuses on quick, short breaths rather than general difficulty

  • gasping

    suggests sudden, sharp intakes of breath, often from shock or pain

  • wheezingly

    implies a whistling or rattling sound in breathing, usually medical

反義詞
  • calmly

    no sign of physical strain or shortness of breath

  • easily

    without any breathing difficulty

文法句型

breathlessly + verb (movement or speech)

用法筆記

Often appears with verbs of movement (run, climb, arrive, push) or speech (say, describe, tell, answer) to show that the action is accompanied by laboured breathing from physical effort.

常見錯誤

❌He spoke breathlessly, without taking a single breath.
✅He spoke breathlessly, pausing between each sentence to catch his breath.
💡breathlessly does NOT mean 'without breathing'; it means breathing with difficulty.
❌She breathlessly held her breath underwater.
✅She held her breath underwater.
💡breathlessly is about laboured breathing, not holding your breath.

2. in a manner that reveals intense eagerness, nervous energy, or emotional anticip

2.副詞B2
釋義

in a manner that reveals intense eagerness, nervous energy, or emotional anticipation about something that is happening or about to happen.

例句

Christopher breathlessly told his family the news that he had won the scholarship.

breathlessly + told (emotional speech)

The journalist breathlessly reported the election results as they came in late that night.

同義詞
  • excitedly

    more general — suggests happiness and enthusiasm without the physical sense of breathlessness

  • eagerly

    emphasises a keen desire or willingness for something specific to happen

  • anxiously

    adds worry or nervousness — the emotion is not purely positive

  • passionately

    conveys deep personal commitment or intensity, often romantic or ideological

反義詞
  • calmly

    without emotional intensity or rush

  • coolly

    suggests deliberate emotional distance or lack of excitement

  • unemotionally

    showing no strong feeling at all

文法句型

breathlessly + verb (speech or emotional waiting)

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1, this sense does not imply actual difficulty breathing — the breathlessness is metaphorical, suggesting that emotion is so strong it feels as though one's breath is taken away. Common with verbs of telling news, waiting for results, and emotional reactions.

常見錯誤

❌They waited breathlessly for the bus, hoping it would come soon.
✅They waited breathlessly for the award ceremony to begin.
💡this sense works best when the outcome matters emotionally; routine waiting sounds odd.
❌She breathlessly complained about the slow service.
✅She breathlessly shared the exciting news about her promotion.
💡the emotion in this sense should be eager or excited, not annoyed or bored.