gasp
noun
a sudden, short intake of breath, as in shock or surprise.
are gasping
-
present progressiveof gasp.present progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or state that is currently taking place in the immediate present.
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.
Meanwhile, many local broadcasters are gasping to stay solvent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026
In a business in which rumor is oxygen, it is difficult to gauge which shows are breathing easy and which are gasping for air.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 4, 2021
Often when we arrive the patients look terrified and are breathing so fast, they are gasping and simply unable to speak.
From BBC ● Jan. 11, 2021
At the same time, PacifiCorp, Wyoming's largest utility, recently released a report suggesting that many of its coal plants are gasping financially.
From Scientific American ● Jan. 2, 2019
So it goes here: we are gasping and sweltering one hour, and plunging through snow banks the next.
From Sunny Memories of Foreign Lands, Volume 2 by Stowe, Harriet Beecher
