What's the word for . . .

[NotWise]

What's the word for a sudden, brief exhalation? -- the opposite of a gasp, which is a sudden, brief inhalation.

I've googled the question and checked dictionaries and thesauri without getting a useful answer. The closest they get is "snort" which, in most cases, is not the word I want.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Huff?

 

[TadOverdon]

Pant?

That suggests something repetitive, though, rather than a single, explosive exhalation...

 

[SimonDoom]

What's the word for a sudden, brief exhalation? -- the opposite of a gasp, which is a sudden, brief inhalation.

I've googled the question and checked dictionaries and thesauri without getting a useful answer. The closest they get is "snort" which, in most cases, is not the word I want.

Can't quite think of one that's 100% right, but some that maybe come near the mark:

exhale, sigh, puff, blow, pant

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Wheeze, puff, whistle, breath.

Surprisingly few, compared to its opposite, gasp.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Glad I’m not the only one. I used “exhaled sharply” as I couldn’t think of an alternative.

 

[KeithD]

I've used "hiss," but I had to qualify it, as it's generally considered a negative reaction.

 

[yowser]

Heimliched?

 

[Comshaw]

What's the word for a sudden, brief exhalation? -- the opposite of a gasp, which is a sudden, brief inhalation.

I've googled the question and checked dictionaries and thesauri without getting a useful answer. The closest they get is "snort" which, in most cases, is not the word I want.

huff

Comshaw

 

[SimonDoom]

Some other thoughts:

discharge, emission, pop, blow, escape, rush, spurt, expulsion,

 

[AlexBailey]

Bellow : to make the loud deep hollow sound characteristic of a bull

Chuff : to produce noisy exhaust or exhalations : proceed or operate with chuffs


Or if there is a element of humor it can be…

Guffaw : a loud or boisterous burst of laughter


Or if it’s an unhealthy sound it could be a ‘rasp’.


Though it’s not in the dictionary, I’ve heard the term ‘snarffle’ used many times to describe the sound bears or pigs make as they root and forage. I think there is a lot of opportunity here for an onomatopoeia word.

 

[JGittes]

I don't think there is one word that will do it. The thing you're looking for doesn't happen naturally to everyone except; at the bounce after a fall that you think will kill you but only knocks the wind out of you, or after an unexpected gut punch. Gasps happen all the time, involuntarily in reaction to many different, completely normal stimuli. The other doesn't and needs the additional description.

 

[gordo12]

Oomph!

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Sigh, huff, pant.
Or saying "whew, huh, hmph"?

 

[Bramblethorn]

In some contexts, "whuff" could work.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

She was so excited by what I was doing to her her breath exploded from her lungs.

That's how I usually put it.

Which cause her to start a coughing fit. Well, she was 65 years old!

 

[SamScribble]

Well, she was 65 years old!

No cause for concern then. Still plenty of time for her to grow out of it.

 

[NotWise]

Thanks for the input, folks.

The setting I was working in was (not surprisingly) a heated sex act. I originally used "panted," but I didn't like the implication that is was regularly repeated, like a dog panting. "Huff" might work. I've even considered "silently grunted."

Before now, I used "gasped" whether I wanted to describe an inhalation or an exhalation.

 

[lovecraft68]

I've used the description, "Cause their breath to hiss between their teeth" which vocally would probably sound like what you're looking for.