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. SwiftExamples 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 Web
Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
The man who once made Madison Square Garden erupt now gives book clubs a reason to gasp.
—Air Mail, 27 Sep. 2025
Emily Longeretta, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
But places that earn chuckles could be getting gasps and guffaws; moments that feel generally meditative could be devastating, if Lloyd were more interested in character work and less in mise en scène.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gasp
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Verb
If nothing else, his wealth of experience, ability to recognize coverages and check the Browns into advantageous situations should be the bare minimum for an offense gasping for life.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
The man who once made Madison Square Garden erupt now gives book clubs a reason to gasp.
—Air Mail, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
Inside the ballroom was an audible gasp, with everyone looking around at each other, completely shocked and emotional.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
But places that earn chuckles could be getting gasps and guffaws; moments that feel generally meditative could be devastating, if Lloyd were more interested in character work and less in mise en scène.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gasp
Cite this Entry
“Gasp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gasp. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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