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. SwiftSynonyms
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 WebMark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 10 July 2024
Ripa said, raising both of her hands in the air as the audience lightly gasped at the response.
—EW.com, 8 July 2024
Ben Golliver, Washington Post, 9 July 2024
Over the course of an almost three-hour screening, Lanthimos’ efforts provoked audible gasps, averted eyes and strangled groans.
—Caitlin Chatterton, CNN, 2 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for gasp 
Verb
Difficulty breathing, gasping, and breathlessness (dyspnea) can be symptoms of obesity.
—Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 10 July 2024
Ripa said, raising both of her hands in the air as the audience lightly gasped at the response.
—EW.com, 8 July 2024
Noun
As soon as the gym doors opened to reporters, though, Flagg drew chuckles and gasps by taking over the scrimmage with an 11-point flurry to lead a select team comeback.
—Ben Golliver, Washington Post, 9 July 2024
Over the course of an almost three-hour screening, Lanthimos’ efforts provoked audible gasps, averted eyes and strangled groans.
—Caitlin Chatterton, CNN, 2 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for gasp
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gasp.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near gasp
Cite this Entry
“Gasp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gasp. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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