gasp

gasp
I UK [ɡɑːsp] / US [ɡæsp] verb [intransitive]
Word forms "gasp":
present tense I/you/we/they gasp he/she/it gasps present participle gasping past tense gasped past participle gasped mainly literary *
a) to breathe in suddenly, for example because you are surprised, shocked, or in pain

He gasped as the freezing water hit his body.

gasp at:

I literally gasped at how beautiful it was.

b) to make a violent effort to breathe because you need more air
gasp for air/breath:

Laura coughed and spluttered as she gasped for air.

Phrasal verbs:
II UK [ɡɑːsp] / US [ɡæsp] noun [countable]
Word forms "gasp":
singular gasp plural gasps mainly literary
a) a sudden noisy breath that is usually caused by surprise, shock, or pain
gasp of:

a gasp of pain/surprise/relief

give/let out a gasp:

Michelle recognized him and gave a gasp of shock.

b) an attempt to get enough air into your lungs by breathing in quickly

She fought for breath, taking in great gasps of air.


English dictionary. 2014.

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Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Gasp — (g[.a]sp), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Gasped} (g[.a]spt); p. pr. & vb. n. {Gasping}.] [OE. gaspen, gaispen, to yawn, gasp, Icel. geispa to yawn; akin to Sw. g[ a]spa, Dan. gispe to gasp.] 1. To open the mouth wide in catching the breath, or in… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • gasp — gasp·er; gasp·i·ness; gasp·ing·ly; gasp; …   English syllables

  • gasp — ► VERB 1) catch one s breath with an open mouth, from pain, breathlessness, or astonishment. 2) (gasp for) strain to obtain (air) by gasping. 3) (be gasping for) informal be desperate to have. ► NOUN ▪ a convulsive catching of breath …   English terms dictionary

  • Gasp — Gasp, n. The act of opening the mouth convulsively to catch the breath; a labored respiration; a painful catching of the breath. [1913 Webster] {At the last gasp}, at the point of death. Addison. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • gasp — [gasp] vi. [ME gaspen < ON geispa, to yawn, prob. by metathesis of * geipsa < geipa, to gossip: for IE base see GAPE] to inhale suddenly, as in surprise, or breathe with effort, as in choking vt. to say or tell with gasps n. a gasping;… …   English World dictionary

  • gasp|y — «GAS pee, GAHS », adjective, gasp|i|er, gasp|i|est. out of breath; gasping …   Useful english dictionary

  • Gasp — Gasp, v. t. To emit or utter with gasps; with forth, out, away, etc. [1913 Webster] And with short sobs he gasps away his breath. Dryden. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • gasp — inter. ES ingl. {{wmetafile0}} spec. nel linguaggio dei fumetti, esprime sorpresa o sbigottimento; anche s.m.inv {{line}} {{/line}} DATA: sec. XX. ETIMO: da (to) gasp ansimare , di orig. onom …   Dizionario italiano

  • gasp — [n] sharply drawn breath blow, ejaculation, exclamation, gulp, heave, pant, puff, wheeze, whoop; concepts 163,595 gasp [v] draw breath in sharply blow, catch one’s breath, choke, convulse, fight for breath, gulp, heave, inhale, inspire, pant,… …   New thesaurus

  • gasp — ● gasp nom masculin Mouvement respiratoire inefficace d origine réflexe, phénomène terminal de l agonie …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • GASP — GASP,   Abkürzung für die Gemeinsame Außen und Sicherheitspolitik der Europäischen Union …   Universal-Lexikon

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