(one's) last gasp

(one's) last gasp

The final moment or action before one can no longer continue to live, function, compete, fight, etc. Many believe the company's latest product could be their last gasp—if it flops, many predict they'll go under. This debate is likely his last gasp to keep his election hopes alive.See also: gasp, last

last gasp

The moment before death; also, the end. For example, "Fight till the last gasp" (Shakespeare, 1 Henry VI, 1:2), or He was determined to stay at the party until the last gasp. This idiom alludes to taking one's last breath, literally (first example) or figuratively (second example). [Late 1500s] See also: gasp, last

your (or the) last gasp

the point of death, exhaustion, or completion. 1996 Will Hutton The State We're In The failure of the 1994 rail strike was the last gasp of an old order. See also: gasp, last