Synonyms of gasping

gasping

verb

present participle of gasp

as in panting

to breathe hard, quickly, or with difficulty

the runner was audibly gasping by the end of the marathon

Synonyms & Similar Words

• panting
• heaving
• wheezing
• choking
• snoring
• puffing
• blowing
• hyperventilating
• huffing
• gulping
• gagging
• being out of breath
• exhaling
• asphyxiating
• strangling
• stifling
• smothering
• snuffling
• expiring

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of gasping

Warning signs worth flagging to a doctor include loud snoring, gasping for air during sleep, severe daytime fatigue, persistent low mood, rapid heart rate and unexplained weight changes. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 July 2026

Gauff and Muchová had the crowd gasping in the thick heat through the tiebreak, which produced some of the most electric shots of what had already been a tense match. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 9 July 2026

Several people reported that the boy seemed to be gasping for air, police said. — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 7 July 2026

And when he was questioned by a police officer about his decision to pronounce the boy dead while the child was still gasping for air, the doctor allegedly pulled rank. — Gabriella Bachara, NBC news, 3 July 2026

The extraordinary fireworks barrage is also expected to produce an inordinate amount of smoke, so a low layer of clouds and lack of breeze could leave attendees gasping from the show—but not in the way intended. — Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026

Sometimes poetry leaves the cinema behind, gasping for breath. — David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026

Zendaya was visibly shocked at first, gasping and clasping her hands over her face, but got into the performance, laughing and dancing along as Holland came over to dance on her. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 21 June 2026

The late-night order halts what would have been the nation’s ninth nitrogen execution, a rare reprieve in a state where recent nitrogen deaths involved shaking, gasping and prolonged suffering. — Kim Chandler, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026