breathlessly
UK[ˈbreθləsli]US[ˈbreθləsli]
adv
in a way that shows you are breathing quickly, especially because you are excited, nervous, or have been running
adv
in a way that shows you are very excited, anxious, or full of emotion
Morpheme Breakdown
breath
less
ly
breath
air taken into lungs
less
without
ly
adverb suffix
Etymology
the word 'breathlessly' is built upon the old english noun 'brǣþ', which originally meant 'smell, odor, exhalation' before its meaning narrowed to the specific act of respiration. the addition of the suffix '-less' creates the adjective 'breathless', literally describing a state 'without breath', often due to exertion or intense emotion. finally, the adverbial suffix '-ly' transforms it into a modifier for verbs, describing the manner of an action. thus, the literal progression from 'lacking breath' evolves into the modern adverbial sense of doing something with the frantic, excited, or anxious quality of one who is out of breath.
Analysis
Structure: breath (air taken into lungs) + less (without) + ly (adverb suffix)
breath (old english 'brǣþ', meaning 'odor, scent, exhalation', later 'air taken into the lungs'), less (old english '-lēas', an adjective-forming suffix meaning 'devoid of, free from'), ly (old english '-līce', an adverb-forming suffix)
Examples
she ran breathlessly up the stairs to deliver the urgent message.
the audience waited breathlessly for the winner's name to be announced.
he spoke breathlessly, his words tumbling out in an excited rush.