What does "gulp" mean?
The usual amount swallowed.
Gulp
/ɡʌlp/ intj, noun, verb
intj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The usual amount swallowed.
- Grammar: gulp is listed as intj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: aqua lung, aqua-lung, artificial respiration, aspiration.
- Useful contrasts: crunches, mutchkin, nipping.
- Usage evidence: Greta chugged the beer in one gulp.
How to use "gulp"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "gulp" 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 "gulp" 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 "gulp" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "gulp" 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 "gulp" is acting as intj, noun, verb 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 "aqua lung" 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 "gulp", 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 The usual amount swallowed.
"What the liquor was I do not know, but it was not so strong but that I could swallow it in great gulps and found it less burning than my burning throat."
- 2 a large and hurried swallow wordnet
- 3 The sound of swallowing, sometimes indicating fear.
"Little Stanislovas was also trembling, and all but too frightened to speak. "They — they sent me to tell you — " he said, with a gulp."
- 4 a spasmodic reflex of the throat made as if in swallowing wordnet
- 5 An unspecified small number of bytes, often two. rare
Verb
- 1 To swallow eagerly, or in large draughts; to swallow up; to take down in one swallow.
"He does not swallow, but he gulps it down."
- 2 utter or make a noise, as when swallowing too quickly wordnet
- 3 To react nervously by swallowing.
"The man eyed Percy with a chilly eye. "Well," he said, "What's troublin you?" Percy gulped. The man's mere appearance was a sedative. "Er-nothing! […]""
- 4 to swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught wordnet
Intj
- 1 An indication of (the sound of) an involuntary fear reaction in the form of a swallowing motion.
""Honey, I know you want to go to their home next week, but there's one thing that keeps happening when we're together that really drives me away from social gatherings in general. (Oh, what is it … gulp.) Well, I'm not sure I can really explain it without offending you. (Gulp, gulp.) Do you really want to talk about it? (Yes.) […]""
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Greta chugged the beer in one gulp."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "gulp"?
Common synonyms include: aqua lung, aqua-lung, artificial respiration, aspiration, asthmatic wheeze, batten.
How do you use "gulp" in a sentence?
Greta chugged the beer in one gulp.
How do you pronounce "gulp"?
Pronounced /ɡʌlp/.
Etymology
From Middle English gulpen, probably from West Flemish or Middle Dutch gulpen, golpen, of uncertain origin. Perhaps of imitative origin, or related to Dutch galpen (“to roar, squeal”), English galp, gaup (“to gape”). Related to German Low German gulpen (“to gush out, belch, gulp”), West Frisian gjalpe, gjalpje, gjealpje (“to gush, spurt forth”), Danish gulpe, gylpe (“to gulp up, disgorge”), dialectal Swedish glapa (“to gulp down”), Old English galpettan (“to gulp down, eat greedily, devour”). More at galp.