gasp

1 of 2

verb

ˈgasp 

gasped; gasping; gasps

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

2 of 2

noun

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

In the next hour Lemieux drew gasps from the crowd half a dozen more times …

—E. M. Swift

Synonyms of gasp

Verb

• pant
• heave
• hyperventilate

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 Web

Verb

There’s an almost comically blasé way in which the performers — who are used to such spectacles — go about their work an hour before thousands of audience members will gasp and clap at the same tricks. — Jenelle Riley, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Kiju looked at me, took my hand, and walked around the woman and out into the night air as those inside gasped and moved to help the vile woman. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026

Noun

The crack when the punch landed sounded like a whip, splitting the air and bringing gasps from the crowd inside a ballroom at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. — Chris McKenna, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

The soundtrack, the swell of the collective gasps, even the lighting at night gives it the effect of building toward something big. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English; akin to Old Norse geispa to yawn

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1529, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing gasp

• last-gasp
• last-gasp goal

Rhymes for gasp

• asp
• clasp
• grasp
• rasp

Kids Definition

gasp

verb

ˈgasp 

1

: to draw in a breath sharply (as with shock)

2

: to breathe with difficulty : pant

3

: to utter with quick difficult breaths

gasp noun