gasps

NOUN

sharply drawn breath

Synonyms

STRONGEST

exclamation whoop

STRONG

blow ejaculation gulp heave pant puff wheeze

VERB

draw breath in sharply

Synonyms

STRONGEST

choke snort whoop

STRONG

blow convulse gulp heave inhale inspire pant puff respire sniffle wheeze

WEAK

catch one's breath fight for breath

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

There were gasps in the public gallery as the judge explained that.

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026

They erupt in a chorus of cheers and gasps as they watch paper fortunes being made and erased in seconds.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

“I wasn’t really planning on landing it,” he says, at which point his aunt gasps.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Further along the table, a three-tiered honey cake sits near a wholemeal plum cake with spiced icing, while a Swedish princess cake draws gasps of admiration with its dome of sponge, jam, custard and marzipan.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

“Okay. This morning, when you and Mr. Blake were in your backyard, I saw—” Something behind me grabs his attention, and he gasps.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas