take someone's breath away

take someone's breath away (third-person singular simple present takes someone's breath away, present participle taking someone's breath away, simple past took someone's breath away, past participle taken someone's breath away)

1. (idiomatic) To make a person feel emotionally moved in a pleasant way.

   The view from the top, over the sea to the islands, simply takes your breath away.

   When he asked me to marry him, it took my breath away.

• breathtaking