What does "gasp" mean?
A short, sudden intake of breath.
Gasp
/ɡɑːsp/ adj, intj, noun, verb, slang
adj, intj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A short, sudden intake of breath.
- Grammar: gasp is listed as adj, intj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: pant, aqua lung, aqua-lung, artificial respiration.
- Useful contrasts: calm breath, calm breathing, exhale.
- Usage evidence: She could scarcely gasp the words.
How to use "gasp"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "gasp" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "gasp" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "gasp" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "gasp" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "gasp" is acting as adj, intj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "pant" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "gasp", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A short, sudden intake of breath.
"The audience gave a gasp of astonishment"
- 2 a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open wordnet
- 3 A draw or drag on a cigarette (or gasper). British, slang
"I'm popping out for a gasp."
Verb
- 1 To draw in the breath suddenly, as if from a shock. intransitive
"The audience gasped as the magician disappeared."
- 2 breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted wordnet
- 3 To breathe quickly or in a labored manner, as after exertion; to respire with heaving of the breast; to pant. intransitive
"We were all gasping when we reached the summit."
- 4 To speak in a breathless manner. transitive
"The old man gasped his last few words."
- 5 To pant with eagerness or excitement; to show vehement desire.
"I'm gasping for a cup of tea."
Adjective
- 1 Acronym of globalist, academic, secular and progressive. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
"Those who dwell outside of Western Establishment bastions are not idiots just because they do not mouth the pieties of GASP. Some of them can write very well. There are other traditions, you know. They could write for Wikipedia, if you let them. But such true openness and genuine tolerance is unacceptable, precisely because those other traditions fail to pay exclusive homage to GASP sources, through which—Wikipedians imagine—all the benefits of global civilization flow."
Intj
- 1 The sound of a gasp. humorous
"Gasp! What will happen next?"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"She could scarcely gasp the words."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "gasp"?
Common synonyms include: pant, aqua lung, aqua-lung, artificial respiration, aspiration, asthmatic wheeze.
How do you use "gasp" in a sentence?
She could scarcely gasp the words.
How do you pronounce "gasp"?
Pronounced /ɡɑːsp/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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 2
Coined by Larry Sanger in 2025.