Definition of gasp
intransitive verb
1 : to catch the breath convulsively and audibly (as with shock)
2 : to breathe laboriously
transitive verb
: to utter in a gasping manner
gasp
nounExplore M-W
Examples of gasp in a Sentence
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 of gasp from the Web
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Spectators gasped when he was hit and quickly fell and was silent for several minutes while medical personnel tended to him.
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Actress Chloë Grace Moretz was one of the people who gasped –
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A woman, bent over at the waist, was thrashing her torso back and forth while slapping at the back of her head and shoulders, screaming and gasping for air at the same time.
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The perils of falling in whitewater rapids Generally speaking, a person’s immediate physiological reaction when hitting water as cold as 40 degrees is to gasp.
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The execution was in contrast to the Dec. 8 execution of Alabama Death Row inmate Ronald Bert Smith, who for 13 minutes heaved and gasped for breath and two consciousness tests were performed before the lethal drugs were administered.
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A movie theater in Austin is daring to host — gasp — a women-only screening of Wonder Woman.
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Among those executions cited in their current appeal is the Dec. 8 execution of Alabama Death Row inmate Ronald Bert Smith, Smith heaved and appeared to be gasping for breath for about 13 minutes after being injected with midazolam.
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People were crawling about, people were screaming, whimpering, gasping for breath, touching each other, vanishing in the dark, and ever and anon being pushed off the platform on to the live rail.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gasp'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of gasp
Middle English; akin to Old Norse geispa to yawn
First Known Use: 14th century
GASP Defined for English Language Learners
gasp
playDefinition of gasp for English Language Learners
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: to breathe in suddenly and loudly with your mouth open because of surprise, shock, or pain
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: to breathe with difficulty
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: to say (something) with quick, difficult breaths
GASP Defined for Kids
Definition of gasp for Students
gasped
;gasping
1 : to breathe in suddenly and loudly with the mouth open because of surprise, shock, or pain I could see … spectators gasping at moves no human had ever made before. — Jerry Spinelli, Crash
2 : to breathe with difficulty : pant The runners were gasping after the race.
3 : to utter with quick difficult breaths “I think we're lost,” she gasped.
Definition of gasp for Students
1 : the act of breathing in suddenly or with difficulty I heard the crowd's loud gasp.
2 : something gasped He let out a gasp of surprise.
Learn More about gasp
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See words that rhyme with gasp Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gasp Spanish Central: Translation of gasp Nglish: Translation of gasp for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of gasp for Arabic speakers
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