Word: gasped (verb, past tense of "gasp")

Associations

The word "gasped" means to take a quick, deep breath, usually because of surprise, shock, fear, or pain.

• She gasped when she saw the beautiful sunset. (shows surprise or amazement)
• He gasped for air after running very fast. (shows physical need for breath)
• They gasped in horror when they heard the bad news. (shows fear or shock)

A synonym is "panted," but "panted" usually means breathing quickly because of tiredness, while "gasped" is often sudden and emotional.

Substitution

Instead of "gasped," you could say:

• "breathed sharply" – more neutral, less emotional
• "exclaimed" – if the gasping is because of surprise and followed by words
• "caught their breath" – if it is about recovering breath after effort

Deconstruction

The root word is "gasp," which means to breathe in suddenly and loudly. The "-ed" ending shows it is past tense, meaning the action happened before now. The word "gasp" comes from Old English "gæspon," which means a sudden intake of breath.

Inquiry

• When was the last time you gasped because of surprise or shock?
• Can you think of a situation where gasping would be a natural reaction?
• How does gasping differ from normal breathing or sighing?