gasp
Americannoun
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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)
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gasps,
present (3rd person singular)
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gasped,
past participle, past
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gasping
present participle
verb (used with object)
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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
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(intr) to draw in the breath sharply, convulsively, or with effort, esp in expressing awe, horror, etc
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(intr; foll by after or for) to crave
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to utter or emit breathlessly
noun
-
a short convulsive intake of breath
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a short convulsive burst of speech
-
-
at the point of death
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at the last moment
-
Synonym Usage
See pant 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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gaspsimple
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gaspssimple
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have gaspedperfect
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has gaspedperfect
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am gaspingprogressive
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are gaspingprogressive
-
is gaspingprogressive
-
have been gaspingperfect progressive
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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:
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
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
She also – gasp – views the sniveling Mr. Collins favorably.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
Jeremy heard Mary Lou gasp as Tiamat reached the front of the room and crouched beside Mr. Kravitz's left foot.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
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
“No!” she gasps, covering her mouth but unable to hide the mischievous grin that’s broken across her face at the memory.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 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
My second twist might incite even more gasps: Instead of tuna, bake a handsome fillet of Steelhead trout.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
First there were gasps, then giggles, then shouts of “Look!” and “Humphrey’s a ghost!”
From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney
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
The audience gasped and then cheered as the Saltburn and Gone Girl actor said she hoped the person was a doctor and that their message had been "very important".
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Korda gasped, covered her mouth, waved to the crowd and wiped away tears.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
When students gasped, he said: “That’s where all this AI hype comes from. We’re not good at programming consciousness. But we’re great at imagining nonconscious things are people.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 3, 2026
“You can say that again, Nell,” gasped Mr. Green.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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
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
Fonseca's biggest weapon is the ferocious forehand that leaves opponents beaten and spectators gasping with excitement.
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
I clapped a hand over my mouth, but it wasn’t enough to stop myself from gasping out loud.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
