breathless
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breathless
To be out of breath because you have made a strong physical effort or because you are shocked. You have the feeling that you can hardly get any air.
Atemlos erreichte sie den Gipfel des Berges und genoss die Aussicht.
Breathless, she reached the summit of the mountain and enjoyed the view.
The word is made up of 'der Atem' (breath) and the ending '-los' (-less), which means 'without.' So 'atemlos' (breathless) literally means 'without breath.'
Nach dem langen Sprint war der Läufer völlig atemlos.
After the long sprint, the runner was completely breathless.
The literal meaning refers to a person after physical exertion or in shock. The figurative meaning describes a thing or event (e.g., a film, a game) as extremely exciting.
Sie war atemlos, nachdem sie die Treppe hochgerannt war.
She was breathless after running up the stairs.
In the literal meaning, 'atemlos' (breathless) is often used as an adverb to describe how someone performs an action, or as a predicative adjective after verbs like 'sein' (to be) or 'werden' (to become).
Atemlos starrte er auf den Bildschirm.
Breathless, he stared at the screen.
In the figurative, exciting meaning, 'atemlos' (breathless) is often combined with nouns like 'Finale' (finale), 'Spannung' (suspense), or 'Stille' (silence). You can also 'atemlos verfolgen' (follow breathlessly) an event.
Die Fans verfolgten das atemlose Elfmeterschießen.
The fans followed the breathless penalty shootout.
exciting
'spannend' and 'atemlos' can both describe something as very gripping. 'spannend' is the normal word when you want to know how something continues, for example in a film, book, or game. 'atemlos' sounds stronger and more figurative: something is so thrilling that it almost takes your breath away. In everyday language, 'spannend' is more common. 'atemlos' is used more when you want to especially emphasize the strong effect.
Das Finale war atemlos, weil sich das Ergebnis erst in der letzten Minute entschieden hat.
The final was breathtakingly suspenseful because the result was only decided in the last minute.
Der Krimi war so spannend, dass ich bis spät in die Nacht gelesen habe.
The crime novel was so suspenseful that I read late into the night.