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 WebMarvin Kalb and Garrett Mitchell, TIME, 18 July 2024
After shaking and struggling to open the lid, Teigen then gasped at what was inside.
—Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 11 July 2024
Zara Hanawalt, Parents, 22 July 2024
Teresa Sievers' family audibly gasp at the verdict.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 20 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for gasp 
Verb
Mitchell is the editor of The Mitchell Report For a few tense moments in the late afternoon of Saturday, June 13th, the country gasped as the specter of assassinations-past rifled its way into a Trump rally in Butler, Pa.
—Marvin Kalb and Garrett Mitchell, TIME, 18 July 2024
After shaking and struggling to open the lid, Teigen then gasped at what was inside.
—Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 11 July 2024
Noun
This isn’t just an issue of judging Hubbard for daring to have fun, or leave the house at—gasp—nighttime, or go to a few parties while growing a human.
—Zara Hanawalt, Parents, 22 July 2024
Teresa Sievers' family audibly gasp at the verdict.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 20 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for gasp
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 26 Jul. 2024.
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