Meaning & use
gasp
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To pull in air suddenly and noisily through the mouth, because of shock, pain, surprise or effort.
Grammar: Often followed by in or with a feeling: gasp in surprise.
Patterns
- gasp in surprise
- gasp with delight
The audience gasped when the magician vanished.
She gasped in pain as she stepped on the broken glass.
He gasped with delight when he saw the surprise party.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To speak or say something while struggling to breathe or while in shock.
Grammar: Can introduce quoted words: he gasped that help was needed, or gasp out a few words.
Patterns
- gasp something out
- gasp for breath
Out of breath, she gasped that the bus had already left.
The runner gasped for air at the finish line.
He gasped out a few words before collapsing onto the sofa.
nouncountable
A short, sudden breath taken in, usually because of shock, pain or surprise.
Grammar: Often appears in a gasp of surprise or with a gasp.
Patterns
- a gasp of surprise
- with a gasp
There was a loud gasp from the crowd when the lights went out.
She let out a gasp of horror.
With a gasp, he surfaced from the water.
Word forms
| third person singular | gasps |
|---|---|
| past tense | gasped |
| past participle | gasped |
| -ing form | gasping |
| plural | gasps |
Common combinations
- gasp for breath
- After the climb, we were all gasping for breath.
- gasp in surprise
- Everyone gasped in surprise at the news.
- gasp of horror
- A gasp of horror ran through the room.
- audible gasp
- There was an audible gasp when the winner was announced.
- gasp for air
- The swimmer surfaced, gasping for air.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pant
- Pant means to breathe quickly in short breaths after running, while gasp is a single sudden intake driven by emotion or effort.
- puff
- Puff suggests quick, shallow breaths from effort and sounds lighter than gasp.
- wheeze
- Wheeze describes a whistling sound caused by a chest problem, unlike the sudden intake of a gasp.
Opposites
Word family
- gasping adjective
- struggling to breathe
- gaspingly adverb
- in a way that sounds like gasping
Commonly confused: gasp or gulp?
gasp vs gulp
A gulp is swallowing something quickly, while a gasp is breathing in suddenly.
Practice
Which phrase best completes: The crowd ____ when the player fell to the ground.
Choose one answer.
Gasped fits a sudden intake of breath from shock. A crowd might sigh in disappointment, but sigh is a long outward breath, so it fits less well.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gasp”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.