panting
panting — verb
- pantingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- pantings3rd person singular
- pantinging-ing form
- pantingedpast simple
1. taking quick, short, noisy breaths through the mouth, usually after running, cli
taking quick, short, noisy breaths through the mouth, usually after running, climbing, or any hard physical effort, or when the body is very hot
Jin arrived at the top of the hill panting and dripping with sweat.
arrive + panting (after physical effort)
The old dog lay on the kitchen floor, panting hard in the summer heat.
panting + adverb (hard)
Esme was still panting heavily five minutes after finishing the race.
Nkechi came up the stairs panting and had to sit down for a moment.
By the final lap, every runner on the track was panting and red in the face.
- breathing easily
calm, regular breaths with no effort
文法句型
be + panting
panting + adverb
come in / arrive + panting
用法筆記
Most often used as a present participle describing how someone breathes after exertion or in heat, rather than as a main verb. Pair it with adverbs of intensity ('heavily', 'hard', 'softly') or with another action ('arrived panting', 'spoke panting').
常見錯誤
panting — noun
1. the act or sound of quick, short, noisy breaths drawn through the mouth, usually
the act or sound of quick, short, noisy breaths drawn through the mouth, usually after hard effort or in great heat
Aarav could hear the runner's panting clearly even from the back row of the stands.
[possessive] + panting (the sound)
The only sound in the empty gym was the heavy panting of two boxers between rounds.
the + adjective + panting (sound focus)
After the long climb, João's panting slowly turned into normal, even breathing.
Élise listened to her dog's loud panting and brought him a fresh bowl of water.
- gasping
stronger; suggests pain or shock, not just exertion
- puffing
informal; emphasises the effort, often used of unfit people
- heavy breathing
a neutral everyday phrase that covers most uses of this noun
文法句型
[possessive] + panting
the sound of + panting
用法筆記
Uncountable in normal use — say 'the panting' or 'heavy panting', not 'a panting' or 'three pantings'. Often appears as the subject when describing what someone or something hears.
常見錯誤
2. the visible rising and falling of the chest or sides of the body that goes with
the visible rising and falling of the chest or sides of the body that goes with this kind of fast breathing, usually noticed in animals or in people who are very tired
Pim watched the panting of the horse's sides slow down as the animal cooled off.
the panting of + [body part] — visible movement
From across the field, you could see the panting of the exhausted runner's chest.
see + the panting (visible movement)
The vet checked the puppy's gums while the panting of its tiny ribs slowly settled.
Christopher placed his palm on the dog's side and felt the steady panting beneath his hand.
- heaving
stronger; suggests larger, more laboured up-and-down movement of the chest
- rise and fall
a neutral descriptive phrase for the same chest movement
- stillness
no visible movement of the chest
文法句型
the panting of + [chest / sides]
see + the panting
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense names what you can SEE or FEEL (the chest rising), not what you HEAR. Mostly used in descriptive or veterinary writing rather than everyday speech.
常見錯誤
3. a regular, repeating noise made by a machine, especially an old engine, that res
a regular, repeating noise made by a machine, especially an old engine, that resembles the short, throbbing breaths of a tired person or animal
Henrik could hear the steady panting of the old steam engine long before the train came into view.
the panting of + [engine] — metaphorical sound
The factory was quiet at last, with no panting of pistons or hiss of steam.
panting of pistons (machine sound)
From the harbour, Mert heard the slow panting of a boat's engine as it left the dock.
All night, the panting of the water pump in the basement kept Rachid awake.
- humming
smooth, continuous machine sound rather than a throbbing one
文法句型
the panting of + [machine]
用法筆記
A literary or descriptive use — you will mostly meet it in novels, travel writing, or older texts about machinery. Modern technical writing prefers 'throbbing', 'chugging', or 'pulsing' for engine noise.