gasped; gasping; gasps
1
: to catch the breath convulsively and audibly (as with shock)
2
: to breathe laboriously
: to utter in a gasping manner
plural gasps
: an act of gasping : a sudden loud intake of breath with one's mouth because of surprise, shock, pain, etc.
He let out an audible gasp at the sight of the snake.
a gasp of surprise
His eyes looked wild and strange from the fever; he trembled continuously, and each breath he took sounded like a gasp for life.—
Robert C. O'Brien
Robert C. O'BrienIn the next hour Lemieux drew gasps from the crowd half a dozen more times …—E. M. Swift
E. M. SwiftSynonyms
Examples of gasp in a Sentence
Verb
Mom gasped in surprise at the sight of my sister's new haircut.
He gasped as he stepped into the icy water.
a dying man gasping for breath
She was gasping for air.
Recent Examples on the WebYuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 5 Apr. 2024
Backstage, the singers gasped and cheered when Lea revealed that she was given the opportunity to write for the album.
—Emily Yahr, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024
After running their first batch of 22s — a conditioning exercise requiring athletes to run the length of the court and back, down again and then back through the free throw line in 22 seconds or less — players are gasping for breath.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Directed by Gus van Sant, languorous, malicious meals unspool at La Côte Basque, the midtown society lunch spot, gloves are sought at Saks (they are shamed for being behind the times and told to–gasp–try Lord & Taylor).
—Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024
Montgomery dislodged an unspecified object from the airway of the baby, who began gasping for air and crying, police said in the social media post.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 27 Feb. 2024
Diners gasped at bills that sometimes exceeded £1,800 ($2,270), as Nusr-Et charged £9 ($11.35) for still bottled water and £25 ($31.52) for burrata.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 20 Feb. 2024
The newest Dodgers star homers in gasping good debut
Feb. 27, 2024
Ohtani, who used Japanese female pronouns in the post, did not identify his wife.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024
Call 911 if a child is not responding, not breathing or gasping uncontrollably.
—Makiya Seminera, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2024
Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
The adrenaline-pumping routine elicited audible gasps and concerned yells from the judges and studio audience.
—USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024
And — gasp! — in true enemy territory: San Francisco.
—Mark E. Potts, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
By the time the actors were kissing, the gasps, shrieks and applause were deafening.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 17 Mar. 2024
Rosanne Barr: San Diego Padres vs. Cincinatti Reds 1990
One year before Houston's last gasp of unbridled patriotism, the sports world caught a glimpse of the coming wave of cynicism that would define the 1990's.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024
Unfortunately, that car’s existence was more of a last gasp than a sign of hope for automotive purists.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2024
Granada’s last gasp was a 3-pointer from Lomba at the buzzer for the final margin.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024
Those peering into the tent gasp at the sudden stench.
—Toby Muse, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2024
Verb
The elephant then flips the vehicle over and the passengers can be heard gasping as the car rolls over.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 5 Apr. 2024
Backstage, the singers gasped and cheered when Lea revealed that she was given the opportunity to write for the album.
—Emily Yahr, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024
After running their first batch of 22s — a conditioning exercise requiring athletes to run the length of the court and back, down again and then back through the free throw line in 22 seconds or less — players are gasping for breath.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Directed by Gus van Sant, languorous, malicious meals unspool at La Côte Basque, the midtown society lunch spot, gloves are sought at Saks (they are shamed for being behind the times and told to–gasp–try Lord & Taylor).
—Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024
Montgomery dislodged an unspecified object from the airway of the baby, who began gasping for air and crying, police said in the social media post.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 27 Feb. 2024
Diners gasped at bills that sometimes exceeded £1,800 ($2,270), as Nusr-Et charged £9 ($11.35) for still bottled water and £25 ($31.52) for burrata.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 20 Feb. 2024
The newest Dodgers star homers in gasping good debut
Feb. 27, 2024
Ohtani, who used Japanese female pronouns in the post, did not identify his wife.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024
Call 911 if a child is not responding, not breathing or gasping uncontrollably.
—Makiya Seminera, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2024
Noun
Writers and studios could create action heroes who have solar panels on their roofs, or drive electric cars — or, gasp, take buses or trains instead of driving.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
The adrenaline-pumping routine elicited audible gasps and concerned yells from the judges and studio audience.
—USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024
And — gasp! — in true enemy territory: San Francisco.
—Mark E. Potts, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
By the time the actors were kissing, the gasps, shrieks and applause were deafening.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 17 Mar. 2024
Rosanne Barr: San Diego Padres vs. Cincinatti Reds 1990
One year before Houston's last gasp of unbridled patriotism, the sports world caught a glimpse of the coming wave of cynicism that would define the 1990's.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024
Unfortunately, that car’s existence was more of a last gasp than a sign of hope for automotive purists.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2024
Granada’s last gasp was a 3-pointer from Lomba at the buzzer for the final margin.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024
Those peering into the tent gasp at the sudden stench.
—Toby Muse, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gasp.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near gasp
Cite this Entry
“Gasp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gasp. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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