coughed; coughing; coughs
1
: to expel air from the lungs suddenly with a sharp, short noise : to emit a cough (see cough entry 2 sense 1)
The dust made him cough repeatedly.
2
: to make a noise like that of coughing
The engine coughed and sputtered and then stopped.
: to expel by coughing
—often used with up
cough up mucus
1
: a sudden, sharp-sounding expulsion of air from the lungs acting as a protective mechanism to clear the air passages or as a symptom of pulmonary disturbance
2
: a condition marked by repeated or frequent coughing
She has a bad cough.
Examples of cough in a Sentence
Verb
She was coughing and sneezing all day.
The dust made him cough.
The engine coughed and sputtered and then stopped.
Noun
He has a cough and a cold.
They both have bad coughs.
I heard a cough from the back of the church.
Recent Examples on the Web
Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 28 Mar. 2024
Patients are not infectious because the virus is not living in the respiratory tract, where it could be spread by coughing or sneezing, said UCSF’s Henrich.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024
Exposure to the gas can cause eye pain, sore throat, difficulty breathing, and blurred vision, along with dizziness, nausea, headache, convulsions, blisters, vomiting, and coughing.
—Korin Miller, Verywell Health, 2 Feb. 2024
That means that Americans with allergies now face more miserable days spent with runny noses, itchy eyes, coughing, and sneezing.
—Nora Colomer, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2024
The chronic respiratory disease causes inflammation and a narrowing of the small airways in the lungs, with a range of symptoms that include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and tightness in the chest.
—Joanne Fowler, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024
The measles virus lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person, and can spread to others through coughing and sneezing.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024
Measles quickly spreads Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads through respiratory droplets released by coughing and sneezing.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024
They can be caused by quick pressure changes (i.e., sneezing or coughing), which can pop the capillaries in your eyes, or by eye trauma.
—Victoria Song, The Verge, 28 Feb. 2024
Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2024
Another passenger had a bad cough and a wretched demeanor.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2024
People have long used the aromatic and sweet extract from its root as an herbal remedy for a wide variety of health maladies, from heartburn and stomach issues to sore throats and cough.
—Bill Sullivan, Discover Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
This means things like not sharing food or kissing someone with mononucleosis, covering coughs, and frequently washing your hands.16
Unfortunately, most adolescents and young adults don't know whether they have already been infected with EBV or not.
—Anju Goel, Verywell Health, 25 Mar. 2024
But critics point out that Zuckerberg’s bids on big new ideas have failed before (cough, cough, its Metaverse).
—Laura Bratton, Quartz, 22 Mar. 2024
Cover coughs and sneezes, and wash hands frequently.
—Erika Edwards, NBC News, 1 Mar. 2024
There are age restrictions on certain medications on a state-by-state basis in other contexts, such as with over-the-counter drugs containing the cough suppressant dextromethorphan, said Gupta, who wrote a blog post about this topic.
—Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024
Measles can be identified by a fever, a cough, red eyes, and as the disease progresses, a rash.
—Elizabeth B. Kim, The Enquirer, 18 Mar. 2024
Verb
It is spread from person to person through coughing or sneezing.
—Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 28 Mar. 2024
Patients are not infectious because the virus is not living in the respiratory tract, where it could be spread by coughing or sneezing, said UCSF’s Henrich.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024
Exposure to the gas can cause eye pain, sore throat, difficulty breathing, and blurred vision, along with dizziness, nausea, headache, convulsions, blisters, vomiting, and coughing.
—Korin Miller, Verywell Health, 2 Feb. 2024
That means that Americans with allergies now face more miserable days spent with runny noses, itchy eyes, coughing, and sneezing.
—Nora Colomer, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2024
The chronic respiratory disease causes inflammation and a narrowing of the small airways in the lungs, with a range of symptoms that include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and tightness in the chest.
—Joanne Fowler, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024
The measles virus lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person, and can spread to others through coughing and sneezing.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024
Measles quickly spreads Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads through respiratory droplets released by coughing and sneezing.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024
They can be caused by quick pressure changes (i.e., sneezing or coughing), which can pop the capillaries in your eyes, or by eye trauma.
—Victoria Song, The Verge, 28 Feb. 2024
Noun
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some of the side effects could include irritation to the eyes, skin, and stomach, as well as cough, chest pain or difficulty breathing, insomnia, irritability, indecision, headache, weakness or exhaustion and weight loss.
—Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2024
Another passenger had a bad cough and a wretched demeanor.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2024
People have long used the aromatic and sweet extract from its root as an herbal remedy for a wide variety of health maladies, from heartburn and stomach issues to sore throats and cough.
—Bill Sullivan, Discover Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
This means things like not sharing food or kissing someone with mononucleosis, covering coughs, and frequently washing your hands.16
Unfortunately, most adolescents and young adults don't know whether they have already been infected with EBV or not.
—Anju Goel, Verywell Health, 25 Mar. 2024
But critics point out that Zuckerberg’s bids on big new ideas have failed before (cough, cough, its Metaverse).
—Laura Bratton, Quartz, 22 Mar. 2024
Cover coughs and sneezes, and wash hands frequently.
—Erika Edwards, NBC News, 1 Mar. 2024
There are age restrictions on certain medications on a state-by-state basis in other contexts, such as with over-the-counter drugs containing the cough suppressant dextromethorphan, said Gupta, who wrote a blog post about this topic.
—Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024
Measles can be identified by a fever, a cough, red eyes, and as the disease progresses, a rash.
—Elizabeth B. Kim, The Enquirer, 18 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cough.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb and Noun
Middle English, from Old English *cohhian; akin to Middle High German kūchen to breathe heavily
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Time Traveler
The first known use of cough was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing cough
Video
A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
Dictionary Entries Near cough
Cite this Entry
“Cough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cough. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
cough
1 of 2 verb1
: to force air from the lungs with a sharp short noise or series of noises
2
: to get rid of by coughing
cough up mucus
3
: to make a noise like that of coughing
an engine coughing and sputtering
cough
2 of 2 noun1
: a condition marked by repeated or frequent coughing
2
: an act or sound of coughing
Medical Definition
cough
1 of 2 intransitive verb
: to expel air from the lungs suddenly with a sharp, short noise usually in a series of efforts
: to expel by coughing
—often used with up
cough up mucus
cough
2 of 2 noun1
: a condition marked by repeated, frequent coughing
he has a bad cough
2
: a sudden, sharp-sounding expulsion of air from the lungs acting as a protective mechanism to clear the air passages or as a symptom of pulmonary disturbance
More from Merriam-Webster on cough
Nglish: Translation of cough for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of cough for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cough
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