gasp
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to take a quick, deep breath because you are very surprised, shocked, or hurt.
v.to inhale suddenly and sharply, typically as an involuntary reaction to shock, surprise, or physical pain.
Simple“The audience gasped when the magician suddenly disappeared from the stage.”
In context“The crowd gasped in collective disbelief as the underdog athlete surged past the world champion in the final ten metres of the race.”
Usageoften used with 'at' to show the cause of the shock.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to breathe quickly and with difficulty, especially after running or when you are very hot.
v.to breathe laboriously or convulsively, often due to physical exertion or a lack of oxygen.
Simple“He was gasping for breath after running up the five flights of stairs.”
In context“Emerging from the smoke-filled corridor, the firefighters were gasping for fresh air as they removed their heavy oxygen masks.”
Usagefrequently followed by 'for' as in 'gasping for air'.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the act or sound of breathing in suddenly.
n.a convulsive or sudden intake of breath.
Simple“There was a loud gasp from the back of the room when the news was announced.”
In context“A sharp gasp escaped her lips as she realised she had left her passport on the kitchen counter.”
Usageoften used in the phrase 'a gasp of surprise' or 'a gasp of horror'.
Synonymsgulpsharp intake
“Some of the crowd gasped as the sight came into view.”
“When French dancer Sofiane Chalal gets on stage, people often gasp.”
From Middle English gaspen, gayspen (“to gape, outbreathe”), related to and likely derived from Old Norse geispa (“to yawn”) or its descendant Danish gispe, which may be related to gapa (“to gape”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.