gasps
gasps · noun/verb
Definitions
noun/verb
- 1.
Short, quick intakes of breath, typically expressing shock, surprise, or difficulty breathing.
- 2.
To inhale sharply or struggle to breathe, often due to surprise, exertion, or lack of air.
- 3.
To utter something with difficulty while struggling to breathe.
Forms
plural: gasps
Phrases & expressions
- •last gasps — the final moments before death or the end of something
- •gasp for air — to struggle desperately to breathe
- •at one's last gasp — nearly exhausted or at the point of giving up
Related words
Etymology
From Old Norse geispa ("to yawn"), related to Middle Low German gispen ("to gasp"). The word entered English in the late 14th century.