sneeze

1 of 2

verb

sneezed; sneezing

intransitive verb

: to make a sudden violent spasmodic audible expiration of breath through the nose and mouth especially as a reflex act
sneezer noun

sneeze

2 of 2

noun

: an act or instance of sneezing
Phrases
sneeze at
informal : to make light of
always used in negative statements to indicate something that is important or deserves attention
… a red ribbon for second place is not to be sneezed at or scorned.Richard Peck
Perquisites and severance pay are nothing to sneeze at [=are significant]

Examples of sneeze in a Sentence

Verb She was constantly sneezing and coughing.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
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 On a recent trip, Offit saw ‒ and heard ‒ an airport cleaner sniffling, sneezing and coughing. Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2024 Courtesy Long family Last summer in Bangor, Maine, Michael Day had heard of ER hallways full of sick patients, hacking and sneezing; people left sitting for days on hard, plastic waiting room chairs. Erika Edwards, NBC News, 7 Feb. 2024 Kessel said the subject of sneezing has not come up in his conversations with Carrillo. Cindy Chang, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2024 Seemingly harmless movements like sneezing, rolling over in bed, or lifting something too heavy could cause her bones to break. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 9 Jan. 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 And given a landscape where the NCAA can’t sneeze without catching a lawsuit, the rules around and NIL have indeed been a moving target. Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2024 One of the main pathways appear to be associated with the function of cilia, the tiny, hair-like structures found on the surface of cells that typically help push germs, mucus and other particles towards the mouth so they can be coughed or sneezed out. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 26 Jan. 2024
Noun
Still, in today’s fragmented TV landscape, anything near 20 million viewers is nothing to sneeze at. Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 8 Mar. 2024 Measles spreads through the air through coughs and sneezes. The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024 Pets can then transfer the infection to humans via tissue or bodily fluids, such as respiratory droplets from cough or sneezes. Aria Bendix, NBC News, 9 Feb. 2024 Some of these clips were impressive, and the technology needed to render them on such small screens is nothing to sneeze at. Kevin Roose, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2024 An open container of chips was placed near the register under a heating lamp, but the resturant did not have a sneeze guard or lid to shield the chips from contamination. Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 26 Jan. 2024 Related Articles And Moody’s PAT streak is nothing to sneeze at; since the NFL moved the extra point back, only Gostkowski in 2015 and the Buffalo Bills’ Tyler Bass in 2021 have gone the entire season without missing a PAT (minimum 50 attempts). Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2024 The closet opens to reveal a large, furry, purple imaginary friend, voiced by Steve Carell, who steps out and says hi before unleashing a massive sneeze. Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 14 Dec. 2023 It’s spread by contact with infected nasal or throat secretions when a person with the disease coughs or sneezes, or by breathing air that was breathed by someone with the disease. Korin Miller, Health, 19 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sneeze.' 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

Middle English snesen, alteration of fnesen, from Old English fnēosan; akin to Middle High German pfnūsen to snort, sneeze, Greek pnein to breathe

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1646, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sneeze was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near sneeze

Cite this Entry

“Sneeze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sneeze. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sneeze

verb
ˈsnēz
sneezed; sneezing
: to force the breath out through the nose or mouth in a sudden violent noisy action
sneeze noun
sneezer noun

Medical Definition

sneeze

1 of 2 intransitive verb
sneezed; sneezing
: to make a sudden violent spasmodic audible expiration of breath through the nose and mouth especially as a reflex act following irritation of the nasal mucous membrane

sneeze

2 of 2 noun
: an act or instance of sneezing

More from Merriam-Webster on sneeze

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