Standard Lemma guide

breathlessness

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state of being breathless or out of breath, especially merely temporarily from exertion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Examples

  • Climbing eight flights of stairs while the elevator is out of service can easily produce some breathlessness in people whose physical fitness is otherwise not noticeably impaired.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Difficult or labored breathing, as a symptom or sign of a medical condition.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: medicine, sciences

Examples

  • Since he'd entered the urgent care center, his breathlessness had only gotten worse, even though he'd been sitting quietly.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shortness of breath, SOB, dyspnea, dyspnoea

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a dyspneic condition

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shortness of breath, SOB

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dyspnea, dyspnoea

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English breathless Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English breathlessness From breathless + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 呼吸困難 /呼吸困难 (hūxī kùnnán) — state of being breathless or out of breath
  • Finnish: hengästyminen — state of being breathless or out of breath
  • French: essoufflement — state of being breathless or out of breath
  • French: halètement — state of being breathless or out of breath
  • Gallurese: diègnu — state of being breathless or out of breath
  • Gallurese: affasciu — state of being breathless or out of breath
  • German: Atemlosigkeit — state of being breathless or out of breath
  • Italian: affanno — state of being breathless or out of breath
  • Japanese: 息切れ (ikigire) — state of being breathless or out of breath
  • Japanese: 呼吸困難 (kokyū konnan) — state of being breathless or out of breath
  • Portuguese: falta de ar — state of being breathless or out of breath
  • Russian: оды́шка (odýška) — state of being breathless or out of breath
  • Campidanese Sardinian: affannu — state of being breathless or out of breath
  • Sardinian: antùa — state of being breathless or out of breath
  • Sardinian: èmida — state of being breathless or out of breath
  • Sassarese: pàsana — state of being breathless or out of breath
  • Sassarese: rànguru — state of being breathless or out of breath
  • Serbo-Croatian: dispneja — state of being breathless or out of breath
  • Serbo-Croatian: nedostatak daha — state of being breathless or out of breath
  • Serbo-Croatian: zaduha — state of being breathless or out of breath