# gasping

/ˈɡæspɪŋ/ (US) · /ɡˈɑːspɪŋ/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/gasping
Updated: 2026-05-09

## Definition

feeling very thirsty or needing something very badly. You use this when you are desperate for a drink or a cigarette.

For teachers: 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.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I am gasping a drink" but "I am gasping for a drink" — In this sense, the word requires the preposition 'for' before the noun.

## Usage notes

- Often followed by the preposition 'for' to indicate the object of desire.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.