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

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɡɑːsp/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɡæsp/

• CA synth

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æsp

Verb

gasp (third-person singular simple present gasps, 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; republished as The Shepheardes Calender […], London: […] Iohn Wolfe for Iohn Harrison the yonger, […], 1586, →OCLC:

     Quenching the gasping furrows' thirst with rain.

Translations

to draw in the breath suddenly

• Armenian: հեւալ (hy) (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)
• Ingrian: ohahtaa
• 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)

to breathe laboriously or convulsively

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

  Mandarin: 喘息 (zh) (chuǎnxī), 氣促／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
• Malay: tercungap-cungap
• Maori: huataue, hāhā, tare, whakaaeaea
• Norwegian: pese (no)
• Ottoman Turkish: صولومق‎ (solumak)
• Portuguese: ofegar (pt), arquejar (pt)
• Russian: дыша́ть с трудо́м (dyšátʹ s trudóm), задыха́ться (ru) (zadyxátʹsja)
• Spanish: jadear (es)
• Swedish: kippa (sv)

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

• dying gasp
• 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
• Ottoman Turkish: صولوق‎ (soluk)
• Russian: судорожный вздох (sudorožnyj vzdox)
• Scottish Gaelic: plosg m
• Spanish: bocanada (es) f
• Swedish: flämtning (sv)

A draw or drag on a cigarette (or gasper)

• Bulgarian: дърпане (bg) n (dǎrpane)
• Danish: drag (da) 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

• Portuguese: tragada
• Russian: затяжка (ru) f (zatjažka)
• Spanish: calada (es) f
• Swedish: bloss (sv) n

Interjection

gasp

1. (humorous) The sound of a gasp.

   Gasp! What will happen next?

Translations

Interjection representing a gasp

• Swedish: flämt

Anagrams

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