pantingly

IPA/pˈantɪŋli/
IPA/pˈæntɪŋli/

pantingly — adverb

1. while breathing in short, quick bursts because of exertion, fear, or strong emot

1.adverbC2
Definition

while breathing in short, quick bursts because of exertion, fear, or strong emotion.

Example

Rodrigo finished the marathon and crossed the line pantingly, hands on his knees.

verb of motion + pantingly to describe breathless arrival

The old farm dog climbed the hill pantingly, pausing twice to rest in the shade.

modifies a movement verb with an inanimate or animal subject

Common collocations
  • speak pantingly
  • ask pantingly
  • whisper pantingly
  • arrive pantingly
Synonyms
  • breathlessly

    much more common in modern English; covers both physical and emotional senses

  • gaspingly

    rare; emphasises sharp, sudden intakes of breath rather than continuous rapid breathing

Antonyms
  • calmly

    describes steady, controlled breathing and demeanour

Grammar Patterns

verb + pantingly

Usage Note

Almost exclusively literary or archaic. Modern English usually prefers a participial phrase such as 'panting' or 'out of breath' instead of the adverb.

Common Mistakes

She answered pantingly the question.
She answered the question pantingly.
keep the adverb after the verb phrase, not between verb and object.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All three adverbs describe speech or action carried out while the speaker is short of breath, but they differ sharply in frequency and register. 'Breathlessly' is the everyday choice in modern English and works for both physical exertion ('she ran in breathlessly') and emotional excitement ('he waited breathlessly for the result'). 'Pantingly' is now mostly literary or archaic; you will meet it in nineteenth-century novels and stylised prose, rarely in conversation. 'Gaspingly' is the rarest of the three and emphasises sharp, audible intakes of breath, often suggesting shock or near-collapse rather than steady rapid breathing. A modern editor would usually rewrite 'he answered pantingly' as 'he answered, still panting' or 'breathlessly', reserving 'pantingly' for deliberately old-fashioned narration.

pantingly ↗breathlessly ↗gaspingly

Common collocations

Phrases

  • arrive pantingly
  • speak pantingly
  • ask pantingly

Etymology

Late LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed in English from the verb 'pant' (to breathe in short, quick bursts) plus the participle ending '-ing' and the adverb suffix '-ly'. 'Pant' itself entered Middle English from Old French 'pantaisier' (to gasp), ultimately from Late Latin 'phantasiare' (to be oppressed by a nightmare), reflecting the older association between gasping breath and intense emotion.