gasp

See also: gäsp

English

Etymology

From Middle English gaspen, gayspen (“to gape, outbreathe”), related to and likely derived from Old Norse geispa (“to yawn”) or its descendant Danish gispe, which may be related to gapa (“to gape”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɡɑːsp/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ɡæsp/

• CA synth

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æsp

Verb

gasp (third-person singular simple present gasps or (archaic) gaspeth, present participle gasping, simple past and past participle gasped)

1. (intransitive) To draw in the breath suddenly, as if from a shock.

   The audience gasped as the magician disappeared.

2. (intransitive) To breathe quickly or in a labored manner, as after exertion; to respire with heaving of the breast; to pant.

   We were all gasping when we reached the summit.

   • c. 1761-1764, Robert Lloyd, An Epistle to C. Churchill, Author of the Rosicad

     She gasps and struggles hard for life.

3. (transitive) To speak in a breathless manner.

   The old man gasped his last few words.

4. To pant with eagerness or excitement; to show vehement desire.

   I'm gasping for a cup of tea.

   • 1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “Aprill. Aegloga Quarta.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […], OCLC 606515406; republished as The Shepheardes Calender […], London: […] Iohn Wolfe for Iohn Harrison the yonger, […], 1586, OCLC 837880809:

     Quenching the gasping furrows' thirst with rain.

Translations

to draw in the breath suddenly

• Armenian: հեւալ (hewal)
• Bulgarian: ахвам (bg) (ahvam)
• Czech: zajíknout se
• Danish: gispe
• Dutch: hijgen (nl), snakken (nl)
• Esperanto: aĥi
• Finnish: haukkoa henkeään
• French: retenir son souffle (fr)
• Galician: impar, salaiar, sospirar
• Georgian: ჩასუნთქვა (časuntkva)
• German: keuchen (de)
• Greek: λαχανιάζω (el) (lachaniázo), ασθμαίνω (el) (asthmaíno)

• Italian: restare senza fiato, restare a bocca aperta, trattenere il fiato
• Japanese: 息を呑む (ja) (いきをのむ, iki o nomu)
• Korean: 숨가쁘다 (sumgappeuda)
• Maori: mote, kuha, mote (resulting from pain or fear or shock), huatare, whakaaeaea (for breathe)
• Norwegian: gispe
• Portuguese: suspirar (pt)
• Russian: вздыха́ть (ru) impf (vzdyxátʹ), вздохну́ть (ru) pf (vzdoxnútʹ), (lit.: open mouth (in surprise)) открыва́ть рот (otkryvátʹ rot) (от удивле́ния)
• Scottish Gaelic: plosg
• Swedish: flämta (sv), kippa (sv)
• Westrobothnian: hiip, hiik

to breathe laboriously or convulsively

• Bulgarian: задъхвам се (zadǎhvam se), дишам тежко (dišam težko)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 喘息 (zh) (chuǎnxī), 氣促 (zh), 气促 (zh) (qìcù)

• Czech: lapat po dechu, těžce dýchat
• Danish: gispe, hive efter vejret
• Esperanto: anheli (eo)
• Finnish: huohottaa, haukkoa (fi)
• French: haleter (fr), ahaner (fr)
• Galician: ampear (gl), arquexar (gl), alasar (gl), ofegar (gl), corexar, anquidar, folguexar (gl), inar (gl), alaiar
• Georgian: ხუთვა (xutva), გუდვა (gudva), ძნელად სუნთქვა (ʒnelad suntkva)
• German: japsen (de), prusten (de), keuchen (de)

• Hungarian: liheg (hu), fújtat (hu), zihál (hu)
• Italian: rantolare, ansimare (it), boccheggiare (it)
• Japanese: 喘ぐ (ja) (あえぐ, aegu)
• Korean: 숨가쁘다 (sumgappeuda)
• Latgalian: eļsinēt
• Latvian: elsot
• Maori: huataue, hāhā, tare, whakaaeaea
• Norwegian: pese (no)
• Portuguese: ofegar (pt), arquejar (pt)
• Russian: дыша́ть с трудо́м (dyšátʹ s trudóm), задыха́ться (ru) (zadyxátʹsja)
• Spanish: jadear (es)

Noun

gasp (plural gasps)

1. A short, sudden intake of breath.

   The audience gave a gasp of astonishment

2. (Britain, slang): A draw or drag on a cigarette (or gasper).

   I'm popping out for a gasp.

Derived terms

• last gasp

Translations

A short, sudden intake of breath

• Basque: arnasbehar, arnasestu
• Bulgarian: пъшкане (bg) n (pǎškane)
• Catalan: esbufec, panteix (ca), bleix (ca), sospir
• Danish: gisp n
• Esperanto: anhelo
• Finnish: henkäisy, nopea hengenveto
• French: halètement (fr)
• Georgian: ჩასუნთქვა (časuntkva)

• German: Atemzug (de) m, Luftholen (de) n, Schnaufen (de) n, Keuchen n, Prusten n
• Greek: λαχάνιασμα (el) n (lachániasma)
• Italian: anelito (it), rantolo (it)
• Norwegian: gisp n
• Russian: судорожный вздох (sudorožnyj vzdox)
• Scottish Gaelic: plosg m
• Spanish: bocanada (es) f
• Swedish: flämtning

A draw or drag on a cigarette (or gasper)

• Bulgarian: дърпане (bg) n (dǎrpane)
• Danish: drag n, sug n, hiv n (slang), bap n (slang)
• Finnish: savut (fi)
• German: Zug (de) m
• Italian: tirata di sigaretta

• Norwegian: drag (no) n

  Bokmål: trekk n

• Russian: затяжка (ru) f (zatjažka)
• Spanish: calada (es) f

Interjection

gasp

1. (humorous) The sound of a gasp.

   Gasp! What will happen next?

Anagrams

• A-GPS, AGPs, GPAs, PASG, PGAs, SPAG, gaps, spag

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Westrobothnian

Noun

gasp n

1. loud talking, joking, fun

Related terms

• gaasp
• gas
• gasig
• gäsa
• gäsasam