keuchen

Definition & meaning

Keuchen is a German verb meaning to pant, wheeze, or gasp for breath. It describes loud, labored breathing, usually after physical exertion, fear, illness, or difficulty breathing.

It can also describe a harsh, breathy sound made while breathing:

• Nach dem Rennen keuchte er erschöpft. — “After the race, he panted exhaustedly.”
• Der Verletzte keuchte vor Schmerzen. — “The injured man gasped with pain.”

The verb can be used both for people and animals.

Grammar & word origin

• Infinitive: keuchen [vocabuo://word/keuchen]
• Third-person singular: er/sie/es keucht [vocabuo://word/keucht]
• Simple past: keuchte [vocabuo://word/keuchte]
• Past participle: gekeucht [vocabuo://wordgekeucht]
• Auxiliary verb: haben
• Type: Regular verb

The word is probably related to an imitation of the sound of difficult, noisy breathing. Its sound reflects the action it describes.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

• hecheln [vocabuo://word/hecheln] — to pant, especially with the mouth open; commonly used for dogs and sometimes people. It emphasizes rapid breathing rather than a wheezing sound.
• 喘? no, avoid.
• 喘息en no.
• japsen [vocabuo://word/japsen] — to gasp or pant, often suggesting short, desperate breaths.
• röcheln [vocabuo://word/röcheln] — to wheeze, rattle, or make a gurgling breathing sound, usually because of illness or an obstruction.
• schnaufen [vocabuo://word/schnaufen] — to puff or blow heavily; it can sound less severe and may simply indicate exertion.
• nach Luft schnappen [vocabuo://word/nach-Luft-schnappen] — literally “to snap for air”; it emphasizes an urgent need to breathe.

Antonyms

There is no exact single-word antonym. Depending on the context, possible opposites are:

• ruhig atmen [vocabuo://word/ruhig-atmen] — to breathe calmly.
• normal atmen [vocabuo://word/normal-atmen] — to breathe normally.
• gleichmäßig atmen [vocabuo://word/gleichmäßig-atmen] — to breathe evenly and regularly.

Common phrases & collocations

• erschöpft keuchen [vocabuo://word/erschöpft-keuchen] — to pant from exhaustion
• schwer keuchen [vocabuo://word/schwer-keuchen] — to breathe or pant heavily
• keuchend nach Luft schnappen [vocabuo://word/keuchend-nach-Luft-schnappen] — to gasp desperately for air
• außer Atem keuchen [vocabuo://word/außer-Atem-keuchen] — to pant while being out of breath
• ein keuchender Atem [vocabuo://word/ein-keuchender-Atem] — wheezing or labored breathing