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
Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025
Elusive junior quarterback Ki Ellison was sensational, and his scrambling and ability to throw on the run left Creek’s big defensive linemen gasping for breath in the second half.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 23 Nov. 2025
Anne Erickson, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
The wings were then formed by faster-moving perpendicular outflows and sculpted further by a hot wind of radiation that signaled the star's final gasps.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gasp
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Verb
In the first photo, Woodruff gasps in surprise and covers her mouth with her hand as Lawley holds her other hand while on bended knee.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025
Elusive junior quarterback Ki Ellison was sensational, and his scrambling and ability to throw on the run left Creek’s big defensive linemen gasping for breath in the second half.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 23 Nov. 2025
Noun
Offensive tackle Dion Dawkins and guard Spencer Brown were both injured during the game, and Allen also went down at one point, which led to plenty of gasps from the crowd.
—Anne Erickson, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
The wings were then formed by faster-moving perpendicular outflows and sculpted further by a hot wind of radiation that signaled the star's final gasps.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 26 Nov. 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 29 Nov. 2025.
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