gasp

American  

[gasp, gahsp] / gæsp, gɑsp /

noun

• gasps
  plural

1. a sudden, short intake of breath, as in shock or surprise.

2. a convulsive effort to breathe.

3. a short, convulsive utterance.

   the words came out in gasps.

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verb (used without object)

• gasps,
  present (3rd person singular)
• gasped,
  past participle,  past
• gasping
  present participle

1. to catch one's breath.

   Synonyms:

   blow, puff

2. to struggle for breath with the mouth open; breathe convulsively.

   Synonyms:

   blow, puff

3. to long with breathless eagerness; desire; crave (usually followed by for orafter ).

verb (used with object)

• gasps,
  present (3rd person singular)
• gasped,
  past participle,  past
• gasping
  present participle

1. to utter with gasps (often followed by out, forth, away, etc.).

   She gasped out the words.

2. to breathe or emit with gasps (often followed byaway ).

idioms

1. last gasp, the point of death; dying.

   At his last gasp he confessed to the murder.

gasp British  

/ ɡɑːsp /

verb

1. (intr) to draw in the breath sharply, convulsively, or with effort, esp in expressing awe, horror, etc

2. (intr; foll by after or for) to crave

3. to utter or emit breathlessly

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noun

1. a short convulsive intake of breath

2. a short convulsive burst of speech

3. 1. at the point of death

   2. at the last moment

gasp More Idioms  

1. see last gasp.

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Synonym Usage

See pant ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• gaspingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• gasps
  plural

Participles

• gasping
  present
• gasped
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• gasp
  simple
• gasps
  simple
• have gasped
  perfect
• has gasped
  perfect
• am gasping
  progressive
• are gasping
  progressive
• is gasping
  progressive
• have been gasping
  perfect progressive
• has been gasping
  perfect progressive

Past

• gasped
  simple
• had gasped
  perfect
• was gasping
  progressive
• were gasping
  progressive
• had been gasping
  perfect progressive

Future

• will gasp
  simple
• will have gasped
  perfect
• will be gasping
  progressive
• will have been gasping
  perfect progressive

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gasp gasps gasped gasping

That proved to be the last gasp for the American attack.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

It was quickly wiped out as Iran's push for a winner intensified, Mehdi Taremi scudding the bar, causing a visible gasp to emanate from the table below.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

Lee, then, is left wondering if this is the true nature of mortality: a long pattern of disappointments, up to and including the moment you gasp your final breath.

From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026

“And we don’t know if this is a performance,” Nino added, drawing a playful gasp from Delilah.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026

Two days after that, Max calls me to the window curtain, and I cover my mouth to stop my gasp of horror.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron

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 were gasps and audible shouts of joy when the team announced they were providing a free upgrade to the original.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

The total eclipse plunged a vast swathe of Spain from broad daylight into darkness Wednesday, drawing awed gasps and applause from spectators gathered in parks and cities across the country.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

And as Ma gasps her final breaths, she makes her smart little girl promise to never lose sight of her ultimate goal.

From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026

Supporters assured them, however, that these partial and limited concessions only reflected the fading gasps of a dying institution.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

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

It was clear in the audio that he gasped.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

Aunt Kate gasped and threw both her blue-gloved hands to her cheeks.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

You have to chuckle, at moments when you should be gasping.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

In the darkness, partially kneeling, gasping for air and practically immobile, he suffered aftershock after aftershock.

From Barron's ● Jul. 5, 2026

As a result of the physical exertion, the former chef claims that she “became dizzy, began choking and gasping for air, and required assistance from security personnel, who intervened by providing water and aid.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

"I measured quite low, even though my OCD means when I am triggered, I'm cleaning for two to three hours with pure bleach and I'm gasping for air," he said.

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026

I’m gasping for air the first few seconds after I return to my senses.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Related Words

• choke
• snort
• whoop