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
Alex Ritman, Variety, 7 May 2025
Now the Nuggets have no choice but to keep gasping for air and rolling with Oklahoma City’s punches.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 May 2025
Christopher Hale, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
As the footage was shown in the court, there were audible gasps from parents whose children attended the childcare center in the public gallery, Sky News reported.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for gasp
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Verb
Trapped in a living prison and gasping for air, Kate must confront both real-life monsters of the deep and her inner demons as a desperate fight for survival and salvation unfolds.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 7 May 2025
Now the Nuggets have no choice but to keep gasping for air and rolling with Oklahoma City’s punches.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 May 2025
Noun
Just past six o'clock, a sudden gasp rippled through the crowd.
—Christopher Hale, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
As the footage was shown in the court, there were audible gasps from parents whose children attended the childcare center in the public gallery, Sky News reported.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 9 May 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 15 May. 2025.
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