The word "breathlessly" is spelled with an "ea" digraph which represents the "ɛ" sound, as in "bed" or "met". The next syllable is spelled with an "th" digraph which represents the "θ" sound, as in "thick" or "thank". The third syllable begins with the letter "l" which represents the "l" sound. Finally, the ending syllable is spelled with an "ess" digraph which represents the "s" sound. The IPA phonetic transcription for "breathlessly" is /ˈbrɛθ.ləs.li/.
Breathlessly, an adverb derived from the word "breathless," describes a state or activity characterized by the absence or shortage of breath, typically due to exertion, excitement, or anticipation. It suggests a lack of ability to breathe normally, often resulting from fast, shallow, or interrupted breaths. It conveys a sense of intensity, urgency, or heightened emotions associated with the speaker's or subject's condition.
In a literal sense, someone might feel breathless after engaging in strenuous physical activity, such as running a marathon or climbing a mountain. This feeling arises from the increased demand for oxygen during intense exertion, causing one's breath to become rapid and shallow. Breathless can also denote deep emotional engagement, where an individual is so captivated, amazed, or overwhelmed that they momentarily lose their composure and find it difficult to control their breathing.
Metaphorically, breathlessly encapsulates the idea of being engrossed in something thrilling or suspenseful, driven by a desire to know what comes next or fueled by a sense of eagerness and anticipation. This word often describes the state of a reader engrossed in a suspenseful novel, a moviegoer captivated by a thrilling scene, or a person caught up in the excitement surrounding a high-stakes event.
Overall, breathlessly conveys a state of being driven, overwhelmed, absorbed, or exhilarated, evoking a sense of intensity, urgency, or emotional investment that compromises one's capacity for normal breathing.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "breathlessly" is formed by combining the noun "breath" with the suffix "-less" and the suffix "-ly".
The noun "breath" originates from the Old English word "brǣð" and the Middle English word "breth", which referred to the air taken into or expelled from the lungs during the process of breathing. The word "breath" has Germanic roots and can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic word "*bræþaną".
The suffix "-less" in "breathlessly" is used to form an adjective meaning "without" or "lacking", such as "motionless" or "careless". It comes from the Old English suffix "-lēas" which means "free from" or "devoid of".
The "-ly" suffix is used to form adverbs from adjectives.