gulped; gulping; gulps

transitive verb

1
: to swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one swallow
2
: to keep back as if by swallowing
gulp down a sob
3
: to take in readily as if by swallowing
gulp down knowledge

intransitive verb

: to catch the breath as if in taking a long drink
gulp noun
gulper noun

Examples of gulp in a Sentence

She told him not to gulp his food. The exhausted racers lay on the ground, gulping air. The exhausted racers were gulping for air. I gulped nervously before beginning my speech. “That's a lot of money,” she gulped. He gulped back tears as he thanked the rescuers.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The three of them confronting the guy — Chet, is pretty hilarious, and Paul successfully scares him into gulping in fear. Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2024 Indeed, wine is a fundamentally a convivial beverage; it is not meant to be chugged, slammed, or gulped. Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024 When concert halls around the country shuttered their doors and gulped with anxiety about the pandemic future — this was March 2020, not that anyone has forgotten — Martha Gilmer saw an opportunity. Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2024 Fantastic creatures When scientists observed dark sleeper fish gulping down young Japanese eels, some of the eels were able to hatch an escape through the predator’s gills in a matter of minutes. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 14 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gulp 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from a Middle Dutch or Middle Low German word akin to Dutch & Frisian gulpen to bubble forth, drink deep; akin to Old English gielpan to boast — more at yelp

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gulp was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near gulp

Cite this Entry

“Gulp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gulp. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

gulp

verb
1
: to swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one swallow
2
: to keep back as if by swallowing
gulp down a sob
3
: to catch the breath as if in taking a long drink
gulp noun
gulper noun

More from Merriam-Webster on gulp

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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