wheeze

¹wheeze

intransitive verb \ˈhwēz, ˈwēz\

wheezedwheez·ing

Definition of WHEEZE

1

: to breathe with difficulty usually with a whistling sound

2

: to make a sound resembling that of wheezing <the bellows wheezed>

Examples of WHEEZE

1. He was up all night hacking and wheezing.
2. The car's motor wheezed and stalled.

Origin of WHEEZE

Middle English whesen, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse hvæsa to hiss; akin to Old English hwǣst action of blowing, Sanskrit śvasiti he blows, snorts

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to WHEEZE

Synonyms

blow, heave, hyperventilate, pant, puff, gasp

Related Words

choke, gag, gulp, huff; asphyxiate, smother, stifle, strangle; snore, snuffle; exhale, expire

Rhymes with WHEEZE

breeze, cheese, ease, feeze, freeze, frieze, jeez, lees, please, res, seize, sneeze, squeeze, tease, tweeze

²wheeze

noun

Definition of WHEEZE

1

: a sound of wheezing

2

a : an often repeated and widely known joke used especially by entertainers

b : a trite saying or proverb

Examples of WHEEZE

1. Between gasps and wheezes, he tried to explain what had happened.
2. the wheeze of an engine
3. We can count on him for a good wheeze.

First Known Use of WHEEZE

1800