to take a quick, deep breath with your mouth open, especially because you are surprised, shocked, or in pain, to breathe with difficulty and make a gasping sound

gasp for breath, gasp for air, with a gasp

Formal and Informal Expressions of gasp

In different contexts, you can replace 'gasp' with suitable alternatives. In a more informal setting, 'gulping for air, sucking wind' is apt.

gasp: Explore its Definition & Usage

gasp Definition

1to take a quick, deep breath with your mouth open, especially because you are surprised, shocked, or in pain
2to breathe with difficulty and make a gasping sound

Using gasp: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "gasp" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

Example
She gasped when she saw the surprise party.
Example
He gasped for air after running a mile.
Example
The fish was gasping on the shore.
Example
I gasped at the sight of the car accident.

gasp Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for gasp

pant
wheeze
gulping
sighing
breathing heavily

Phrases with gasp

gasp for breath
to struggle to breathe
Example
The swimmer was gasping for breath after swimming across the lake.
gasp for air
to struggle to breathe
Example
The runner was gasping for air after finishing the marathon.
with a gasp
with a sudden intake of breath
Example
With a gasp, she woke up from her nightmare.

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Summary: gasp in Brief

The verb 'gasp' [ɡæsp] means to take a quick, deep breath with your mouth open, often due to surprise, shock, or pain. It can also mean to breathe with difficulty and make a gasping sound. Examples include 'She gasped when she saw the surprise party' and 'He gasped for air after running a mile.' Phrases like 'gasp for breath' and 'with a gasp' further illustrate its usage.