gasp
Americannoun
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a sudden, short intake of breath, as in shock or surprise.
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a convulsive effort to breathe.
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a short, convulsive utterance.
the words came out in gasps.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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to utter with gasps (often followed by out, forth, away, etc.).
She gasped out the words.
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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
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a short convulsive intake of breath
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a short convulsive burst of speech
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at the point of death
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at the last moment
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Related Words
See pant 1.
Other Word Forms
- gaspingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of gasp
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English gaspen, probably Old English *gāspen, equivalent to Old Norse geispa; akin to gape
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.
Female jurors watched with rapt attention, some gasping in shock.
From Los Angeles Times
“I, huff, huff, would, huff, huff, say so,” gasped Handsome, “if I huff, huff, could only, huff, huff, catch, huff, huff, my breath.”
From Literature
Mama gasped as if she had swallowed too much air.
From Literature
Opal gasped and clapped her hands to her mouth.
From Literature
They said they heard him gasp that he could no longer breathe.
From Salon
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.
