gasp
noun
a sudden, short intake of breath, as in shock or surprise.
were gasping
-
past progressiveof gasp.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said that even in training camp, the team’s veteran players were gasping at Miles’s plays.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
"We were gasping for our breath," he recalled.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2025
It felt like when some of us were gasping for breath, everyone else just had a collective shrug and didn’t think anything of it.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 24, 2022
“They did an amazing job and, honestly, it didn’t look like they were gasping for air. It didn’t look like treading water,” Wheeler said.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 24, 2019
My mom was crying, begging, and pleading; asking for more time as if she were gasping for a last breath of air.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
