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

Pike said she hoped the guilty texter was a doctor and that their message had been "very important", during an impromptu speech which drew gasps and then cheers.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 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

While much of today’s advances are less showy, focused on things like energy efficiency and reducing elevator wait-times, some of what the industry is working on may yet produce a few gasps.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Her breath comes and goes in tiny gasps and sighs.

From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate