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
Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 19 Feb. 2026
Fudd was also coughing at the podium after the Villanova game, and Auriemma said there’s been some sort of flu going around the locker room.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 19 Feb. 2026
Laura Fay, CBS News, 15 Feb. 2026
Her cough wracks her whole body, rounding her delicate bird shoulders.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cough
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Verb
In return, Kellou recognizes that Aya, who’s always coughing, is sick, and promises to take care of her.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 19 Feb. 2026
Fudd was also coughing at the podium after the Villanova game, and Auriemma said there’s been some sort of flu going around the locker room.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
The symptoms of measles are fever, runny nose, cough, and red and watery eyes, followed by rash, according to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 15 Feb. 2026
Her cough wracks her whole body, rounding her delicate bird shoulders.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cough
Video
A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
Cite this Entry
“Cough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cough. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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