it takes one's breath away
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The news is so astounding it causes one to hold one's breath with surprise.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “it takes one's breath away” mean?
The news is so astounding it causes one to hold one's breath with surprise.
Is “it takes one's breath away” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.