Gasp!

[NotWise]

I may overuse the word "gasp," but I've searched thesauri for alternatives without finding many I like.

The verb definition per Oxford Languages (via Google) is:

inhale suddenly with the mouth open, out of pain or astonishment.

There's also a labored breathing ("gasp for breath") definition.

I also use it for a rapid, possibly forced, exhalation, and I don't have great alternatives. What do y'all use?

 

[UsuallyPresent]

Exhale? "She exhaled slowly/sharply, her startle/fear/arousal/shock quite evident"

 

[MrPixel]

Similar. "She sharply inhaled..." if I used "gasped" somewhere close.

 

[mildlyaroused]

Yeah, very often I describe the action rather than using a single word like "gasped."

She drew a sharp [quick, sudden, ragged, short] breath of air.
She inhaled sharply.
She panted. (if the gasping is a result of sustained activity, or between speech)
She let out a low, quiet breath.
She gave a sudden, ragged exhale.
She took a sudden breath of air.
She held her breath.
She gave an audible start.
She struggled for air.

 

[Britva415]

“Inhale” plus an adverb
Any synonym of “inhale”

 

[MillieDynamite]

Huffed, snorted, panted, huffed and puffed (and blew his house down), puffed, wheezed, choked, heaved, gulped, sucked in. Cried out, aspirated in shock.

 

[WCSGarland]

How about the MC's breath hitched?

 

[SimonDoom]

In the EC Comics universe (Tales from the Crypt, etc.), it's usually

"Gasp!"

"Choke!"

"Good lord!"

 

[MillieDynamite]

AI likes, "breath caught in her throat." I had used that often until I discovered it was one of the overused AI things... AI has things we have words. AI has repetition, and so do I, but I try to eliminate it. I think I used twenty different words for cock in one story. Johnson, schlong, you get the drift.

 

[SimonDoom]

If I were you, I wouldn't worry too much about finding synonyms, but would just limit how many times characters gasp per story. It's not the kind of thing you want them to do too often. Instead of gasping, they could exclaim something, "Holy shit!" as a way for you to describe an excited or surprised reaction.

I don't think anybody is going to fault you if you like "gasp" as the word to describe the reaction and the word pops up once in every story. People probably won't even notice unless it seems like an overreaction under the circumstances.

 

[ronde]

My characters gasp for a breath because they've just "blown out" the breath they were holding because of the impending orgasm.