Out of breath from physical activity; also means extremely excited or anxious about something.
Compound of 'breath' (from Old English 'braeth') and '-less' (lacking). The word has been used since the 1300s, originally meaning literally without breath, then expanding to emotional states.
Your body literally can't function without breath—it's why 'breathless' is such a perfect metaphor for intense emotion, whether fear or excitement. Ancient cultures didn't have separate words for these feelings; they used the same word for being winded and being overcome with passion.
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