Gasped
/ɡæspt/
verbB1past tense
Definition
To gasp is to suddenly breathe in quickly and loudly, often because you are shocked, scared, or surprised. It can also happen when someone has trouble breathing or is very tired. Gasped is the past form, meaning this happened before.
Was this helpful?
See It in Action
To take a quick, sharp breath because of surprise, shock, or fear
- •She gasped when she saw the huge spider on the wall.
- •He gasped loudly after hearing the unexpected news.
- •They gasped in amazement at the beautiful fireworks.
To breathe quickly because of difficulty or tiredness
- •After running up the hill, he gasped for air.
- •The swimmer gasped as she reached the shore.
- •He gasped, trying to catch his breath after the long climb.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "gasped" like "breathed," but much faster and with surprise or shock.
- ✓Picture someone seeing something amazing or scary and their mouth opens to take a quick breath.
- ✓It's the feeling when you suddenly hear unexpected news and your breath stops for a moment.
- ✓Sounds like "gasp" → imagine a quick "ha!" sound when you are surprised.
- ✓Think of a movie scene where a character sees something unbelievable and gasps loudly.
- ✓NOT like "breathe" (normal, calm breathing), gasping is sudden and often loud.
- ✓NOT like "sigh" (slow breath out), gasping is a quick breath in.
- ✓NOT like "pant" (fast breathing after exercise), gasping is usually from shock or surprise.
Try Other Words
- •Pant: to breathe quickly, usually after exercise (Use when the breathing is because of physical effort, not surprise)
- •Exhale: to breathe out air (Use when focusing on breathing out, not the quick breath in)
- •Sigh: to breathe out slowly to show tiredness or sadness (Use when the breath is slow and shows emotion, not a sudden quick breath)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: base word "gasp" + past tense suffix "-ed"
- •Etymology: Originates from Middle English "gaspen," meaning to open the mouth wide or breathe with difficulty
- •Historical development: Used since the 15th century to describe sudden breathing or mouth opening due to surprise or difficulty
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to describe reactions of shock, surprise, or breathing difficulty in everyday language and stories
Reflect & Connect
•Can you remember a time when you gasped because of surprise or shock? What happened?
•How is gasping different from normal breathing in moments of strong emotion or physical effort?
Fill in the blanks
1.She gasped ___ when she saw the unexpected gift on her birthday.
2.After running fast, he gasped ___ because his lungs needed more air.
3.Unlike calm breathing, gasped is a quick breath ___ and often loud.
4.When the scary movie started, the audience gasped ___ at the sudden noise.
5.He gasped ___ for air after climbing the stairs too quickly.
6.People often gasped ___ when hearing surprising or shocking news.
7.The child gasped ___ and held her breath when she almost fell.