I. verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a squeal/gasp/cry etc of delight
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The child gave a squeal of delight.
fight/gasp for air (= try to breathe with difficulty )
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He clutched his throat as he fought for air.
gasp/fight for breath (= have difficulty breathing )
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He was lying on the floor gasping for breath.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
out
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Once inside the gallery, we walked to the top of a small staircase and gasped out loud.
■ NOUN
air
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But with an hour gone and Ulster 25-24 ahead, Saracens were gasping for air in this Heineken Cup match.
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But the poor paunchy guy had been stuffed into a jumpsuit from which he seemed to gasp for air .
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Once back outside in the Berlin night, Harry gasped for air .
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I gasped air and saw the bright crimson of my skinned knuckles.
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The instructor must have heard my screams as I felt myself being dragged out as I gasped for air .
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She was gasping for air , then her throat seized closed and she fainted.
breath
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The icy stream took her breath away and she gasped as the water poured through her hair and ran down her face.
horror
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At first Buzz saw nothing, but then she gasped in horror .
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I should have gasped and recoiled in horror .
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I only had time to gasp in horror , before I saw that Heathcliff had caught him.
pain
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She took a step back and, gasping with pain , stumbled as her ankle gave way beneath her.
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A hopelessness swept through her so unexpectedly she gasped as if in pain and grabbed at a tree root to prevent herself falling.
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As he received the blow his face writhed and he gasped with pain .
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The young man gasped , the pain between his legs searing through him.
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The same sensation clawed at his cheek and he gasped , the pain searing, yet unreal.
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Brian gasped with the pain , and couldn't breathe.
■ VERB
hear
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Cecilia heard herself gasp and at once put her hand up to her mouth.
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I could hear Maria gasping , one word at a time, one sob at a time.
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Carrie heard Albert gasp beside her.
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Next to him he heard Maisie gasp .
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She heard Miranda gasp a little laugh and did not wish to see why.
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He heard himself gasp and gurgle, saliva and blood spitting past the merciless wire.
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She heard him gasp at the sheer beauty of her superb feminine body.
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When she heard my voice she gasped , then collapsed into giggles.
leave
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The opening scene is so shocking it will leave you gasping .
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Instead, it is surging ahead in the polls leaving the opposition to gasp with envy.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
strangled cry/gasp/voice etc
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After a few thrusting minutes Edward gave a strangled cry that seemed to come from deep in his throat and jerked out of her.
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But Gary in his slow strangled voice spoke a kind of poetry as he told me about his previous life.
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Gilbert uttered a strangled cry and leapt to his feet with shadow reflections of crawling rain on his spectrally white face.
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He thought he made some kind of strangled gasp; he knew his eyes would have expressed his emotions.
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Lorrimer gave a strangled cry and lunged out.
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Then a sixth man appeared at the door, a small strangled cry came from Miranda.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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""Do you think you can walk?'' I asked. ""I'll try,'' he gasped.
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His mother was coughing and gasping for breath.
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I gasped when I heard how much the ring had cost.
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Most people gasp when they hear how much money Patsy makes.
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One of the boys hit him in the face, and he gasped with pain.
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The crowd gasped as the plane burst into flames.
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The hill was very steep and they were all gasping by the time they got to the top.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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But the poor paunchy guy had been stuffed into a jumpsuit from which he seemed to gasp for air.
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Everyone who sees these photographs gasps.
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He gasped in agony as his knees smashed into a rock.
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Instead, it is surging ahead in the polls leaving the opposition to gasp with envy.
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The boys gasped, wheezed and giggled; the plumper ones complained bitterly.
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The sound of the telephone shrilling by the side of her bed brought her gasping back to wakefulness.
II. noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
last
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The Celtic star laid on two killer last-gasp Ipswich goals in two minutes.
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Whether it is a rebirth or a last gasp remains to be seen.
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This weekend, though, there was no need for a controversial last-gasp try.
little
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She gave a little gasp , and he released it.
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I was breathing in short little gasps .
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Somehow she managed to take a proper breath, not the little shallow gasps she had been giving up to now.
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With every move she gave a little gasp , as her body, previous experience or not, proved an apt pupil.
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The watching group gave out a little gasp .
■ VERB
come
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His breath was coming in short irregular gasps .
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All I had to do was wait until my breath no longer came in short gasps and my body quit trembling.
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Her eyes had grown wide, her skin pale; her breath came in great gasps .
give
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Almost disinterestedly, she turned the paper over, and gave a gasp of shock, her heart missing a beat.
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Sarella jerked her head round, then gave a small gasp .
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Next second she gave a gasp , and beckoned Shirley to hurry.
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She gave a little gasp , and he released it.
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She gave a little gasp of delight.
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Jehana gave a gasp of exasperation, and she stood up.
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The excitement and food simply welled up inside him and he gave a short gasp and vomited all over the carpet.
hear
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Across from me, the door opened and I heard some one gasp .
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He rolled back the leather covering and heard Selkirk's gasp of surprise.
let
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I let out an involuntary gasp .
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At first, reading this passage I let out a gasp: I had never seen maternal ambivalence described on the page.
make
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Something struck her smartly in the middle of her shoulders and made her gasp .
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Donald and Jean had disappeared and Mary was in a black mood, striding along and making old Donald gasp .
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It made her gasp and draw in breath.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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Between gasps Michael said that he was allergic to cats.
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The announcement that he was guilty brought gasps and sobs in the packed courtroom.
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There were gasps of astonishment from the audience.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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Bette concluded with a gasp and sank her teeth into her sandwich.
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But it also was the last gasp for a team on the slide.
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I was breathing in short little gasps.
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Kneeling across him, she joined her body to his with a little gasp until he sat and touched his mouth to hers.
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Now we solaced our brow on the porcelain, and emitted a few sour gasps of disgust.
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Then there's nothing but the implacable, soul-less beat, and a subdued babble of shudders and metallic gasps.
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There was a gasp at this disclosure.