Word
gasping
Phoneticsgasp·ing
US/ˈɡæspɪŋ/
UK/ɡˈɑːspɪŋ/
Definition
adj. feeling very thirsty or needing something very badly. You use this when you are desperate for a drink or a cigarette.
adj. experiencing an intense, urgent desire for something, most commonly a drink or a cigarette. Often used predicatively after a linking verb.
Examples
“I am absolutely gasping for a glass of water.”
“After walking through the heat for three hours, the hikers were gasping for a cold drink.”
“The commuters emerged from the broken train car gasping for fresh air after being trapped in the humid tunnel for nearly forty minutes.”
Examples
simple
“I am absolutely gasping for a glass of water.”
contextual
“After walking through the heat for three hours, the hikers were gasping for a cold drink.”
complex
“The commuters emerged from the broken train car gasping for fresh air after being trapped in the humid tunnel for nearly forty minutes.”
Usage
Often followed by the preposition 'for' to indicate the object of desire.
Pitfall
I am gasping a drink
I am gasping for a drink
In this sense, the word requires the preposition 'for' before the noun.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/gasping