gulps
Swallows in haste
Gulps is the plural of gulp—large, hasty swallows, often of liquid: He drank the water in three gulps.
The word suggests urgency or greed.
As a verb, gulps means swallows quickly or convulsively: She gulps her coffee every morning.
One also gulps air when startled or anxious, often paired with emotion: He gulps back tears.
State of anxious unease
- lump in throatTight feeling when emotional
- dry mouthInsufficient saliva production
- heart-poundingCausing intense physical excitement
- tensionStretched or strained state
apprehension · dread · panic · jitters · trembling · unease · worry · stress
Eating greedily and fast
- devouringEating greedily and quickly
- inhalingDrawing air inward
- boltingDeparting at speed
- scarfingEating very quickly
shoveling · gorging · stuffing · cramming · ravenous · voracious · hasty · unchewed
Breathing in sharp gulps
- pantingRapid labored breathing
- franticWildly anxious or desperate
- drowningDeath by water inhalation
- suffocatingDepriving of air
flailing · struggling · choking · breathless · heaving · clutching · wild-eyed · panicked
Audible emotional breath
ease · respite · unburdening · letting go · decompression · unwinding · settling · relaxation
swallow
Send down the throat
guzzle · mouthful · slurp · down · swill · drain · slug · belt · knock back · polish off
nervousness
State of anxious unease
- lump in throatTight feeling when emotional
- dry mouthInsufficient saliva production
- heart-poundingCausing intense physical excitement
tension · apprehension · dread · panic · jitters · trembling · unease · worry · stress · edginess
wolfing
Eating greedily and fast
scarfing · shoveling · gorging · stuffing · cramming · ravenous · voracious · hasty · unchewed · greedy
gasping
Breathing in sharp gulps
suffocating · flailing · struggling · choking · breathless · heaving · clutching · wild-eyed · panicked · thrashing
sigh
Audible emotional breath
calm · ease · respite · unburdening · letting go · decompression · unwinding · settling · relaxation · reassurance