1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

gasp 1 of 2

verb

ˈgasp How to pronounce gasp (audio)
Definition of gaspnext
as in to pant
to breathe hard, quickly, or with difficulty the runner was audibly gasping by the end of the marathon

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

gasp

2 of 2

noun

as in sigh

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gasp
Verb
Loud persistent snoring, sudden gasping or choking for air, waking with a dry mouth and breathing pauses a partner usually notices first. — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 23 Sep. 2026 Hall starts with a combination of milk and water and then—try not to gasp—adds the stone-ground grits and a pinch of salt while the liquid is still cold. — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 23 Sep. 2026
Noun
What could be better than a book that can be read in one long gasp and which blends Wharton’s biting social commentary with sublime flights about the body and the seasons? — Merve Emre, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2026 His biggest strength, as on the first album, is writing happy love songs, celebrating passionately enduring relationships between adults who (gasp) like each other. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gasp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gasp
  1. pant
  2. sigh
  3. heave
  4. whisper
  5. hyperventilate
  6. murmur
  7. gurgle
  8. hiss
Verb
  • Personality pants The brand to know and love right now is Chan Luu.
    — Bianca Kratky, Glamour, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The Row Frima pants $3,150 Track Star The track jacket is my fall answer to fashion’s (and my personal) ongoing love affair with sport—styled with a touch of Saint Laurent and Celine polish for everyday or taken full pro athlete à la Balenciaga.
    — Minty Mellon, Vogue, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of pant
Noun
  • Céline hit it before letting out a sigh of relief, almost suspended in that moment.
    — Blanche Marcel, Vanity Fair, 20 Sep. 2026
  • That blast wasn’t as important in this win, but as October approaches, sigh-of-relief homers don’t get much bigger.
    — Levi Weaver, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of sigh
Verb
  • After a Golden Flashes timeout, Sayin rolled right and heaved it toward the end zone, when Brandon Inniss caught it in the middle of a crowd of Kent State defensive backs to make it 35-0.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The ice groaned and heaved, fracturing as if the river itself had come back to life.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of heave
Noun
  • At a time when so much contemporary art jockeys to be spectacular, Op de Beeck’s whispers, both commanding and requiring your attention.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In a fitting homage, the whiskey's whisper of a smoky, campfire-like finish sets it apart among Kentucky's expansive bourbon scene.
    — Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of whisper
Verb
  • Her husband began hyperventilating beside her and was given a paper bag.
    — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 24 Aug. 2026
  • News that Nikki Finke had left behind a memoir — and that her estate was seeking a publisher — had half of Hollywood hyperventilating into their Erewhon shopping bags last week.
    — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of hyperventilate
Noun
  • The outcry over data centers — warehouses that contain the hardware for powering artificial intelligence and other technology — was only a faint murmur when McCallister first saw the survey markers.
    — Justin Papp, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2026
  • So even as the national debt recently passed the $40 trillion landmark, there was barely a murmur coming from the party of fiscal responsibility.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of murmur
Noun
  • There are mud pools from Yellowstone National Park that have a squeamish gurgle, and hearing them amid a crackling bonfire feels unexpectedly harmonious, even plausible.
    — Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Her stomach made an audible gurgle.
    — Douglas Stuart, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
Definition of gurgle
Noun
  • There’s a hiss, then steam rises up with nowhere to escape, filling the space.
    — Taylor Eisenhauer, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026
  • He was shown a yellow card for excessive celebration, which drew loud boos and hisses from the fans.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of hiss

Browse Nearby Words

gasoliers
gasp
gasped
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gasp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gasp. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fungible

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All