gasp
Americannoun
-
gasps
plural
-
a sudden, short intake of breath, as in shock or surprise.
-
a convulsive effort to breathe.
-
a short, convulsive utterance.
the words came out in gasps.
verb (used without object)
-
gasps,
present (3rd person singular)
-
gasped,
past participle, past
-
gasping
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
gasps,
present (3rd person singular)
-
gasped,
past participle, past
-
gasping
present participle
-
to utter with gasps (often followed by out, forth, away, etc.).
She gasped out the words.
-
to breathe or emit with gasps (often followed byaway ).
idioms
verb
-
(intr) to draw in the breath sharply, convulsively, or with effort, esp in expressing awe, horror, etc
-
(intr; foll by after or for) to crave
-
to utter or emit breathlessly
noun
-
a short convulsive intake of breath
-
a short convulsive burst of speech
-
-
at the point of death
-
at the last moment
-
Synonym Usage
See pant 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
gaspsimple
-
gaspssimple
-
have gaspedperfect
-
has gaspedperfect
-
am gaspingprogressive
-
are gaspingprogressive
-
is gaspingprogressive
-
have been gaspingperfect progressive
-
has been gaspingperfect progressive
Past
-
gaspedsimple
-
had gaspedperfect
-
was gaspingprogressive
-
were gaspingprogressive
-
had been gaspingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of gasp
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English gaspen, probably Old English *gāspen, equivalent to Old Norse geispa; akin to gape
Explanation
A gasp is the sound made by a sharp inward breath. After running up a steep hill, your breath will come in gasps. When you make the sound of a gasp, you gasp: "It was so surprising to see my lost cat sitting calmly on the front porch that it made me gasp." People tend to gasp when they're shocked or hurt. A "last gasp" is the moment just before someone dies — it can also mean the point of completing or ending something: "It was the last gasp of video stores in my city when that one closed."
Vocabulary lists containing gasp
Illegal
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Vocabulary from Readings 1, Unit 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Ten years ago Alec Palao was casually flicking through a collection of old records when he noticed some faint pencil markings that were enough to draw a gasp.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
People grin and gasp, some with tears streaming down their faces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
It’s space in which we can cheer, gasp and leap out of seats along with our families, friends and all the millions we will never meet but to whom we are connected all the same.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
She also – gasp – views the sniveling Mr. Collins favorably.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
I crack open my eyes and force myself not to gasp.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
There were gasps and – to the intense irritation of supporters – cheers from opponents of assisted dying when the vote was read out in the Commons.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
The underwater vehicle was coasting about six feet above the ocean floor, two miles deep, when a pinkish, mysterious creature swam into its camera’s sights, drawing gasps in the research vessel floating at the surface.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
There’s no more fitting description of a documentary that’s cobbled together from the dying gasps of ’90s fashion culture, when glamor and mischief reigned supreme.
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026
When the defence lawyer told the court about his request to have a juror removed, there were gasps and reporters quickly began typing.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
On the third night, Mother tended him and I stood in the doorway, listening to his gasps, watching Mother watch him, her face hollow, her eyes swollen with worry and exhaustion.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Many in the audience laughed and applauded, when they should have gasped or moaned.
From Slate ● Sep. 10, 2026
I caught the film at a recent matinee in New Orleans, and children and adults alike gasped at Harryhausen’s movie monsters – from the looming metal colossus of Telos to the hissing and slithering Hydra.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
People grinned and then gasped, some with tears streaming down their faces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
The audience gasped during the speech and were "irritated and annoyed" that someone had been on their phone, before cheering and applauding when the speech was over, the BBC understands.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026
“Actually, the royals—” Llewelyn began to say, then gasped.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
No livestream could have delivered that shiver, or the silence of hundreds of strangers falling still, then gasping, in the same instant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Other symptoms include waking up a lot, loud snoring and gasping, snorting or choking.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
In the darkness, partially kneeling, gasping for air and practically immobile, he suffered aftershock after aftershock.
From Barron's ● Jul. 5, 2026
By that point, Illinois was already rolling, well on their way to a 101-65 victory that left USC gasping for air.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026
Plants died and the grasses rotted, cattle and sheep crept to the river that was no more and perished there for lack of water, lizards and squirrels lay prone and gasping in the blistering sunlight.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
