asthma

noun

asth·​ma ˈaz-mə 

British ˈas-

: a chronic lung disorder that is marked by recurring episodes of airway obstruction (as from bronchospasm) manifested by labored breathing accompanied especially by wheezing and coughing and by a sense of constriction in the chest, and that is triggered by hyperreactivity to various stimuli (such as allergens or rapid change in air temperature)

asthmatic

az-ˈma-tik 

British as-

adjective or noun

asthmatically

az-ˈma-ti-k(ə-)lē 

British as-

adverb

Examples of asthma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After her death, investigators found the girl's asthma equipment in the home and stated it was not properly maintained and that a respiratory mask was found with cockroaches, the DA said. — Jose Fabian, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

The rural county near the Mexico border struggles with bad air pollution and has one the state’s highest rates of asthma hospitalization for kids, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Mendez spent nine years pressing for the 2022 shutdown of an NRG Energy coal plant on the lakefront in downtown Waukegan, partly because studies showed a third of the city’s children were then suffering from asthma. — John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026

That’s especially true for older adults and those with lung conditions including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), who are more vulnerable to dangerous complications such as pneumonia. — Kathleen Felton, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English asma, borrowed from Medieval Latin asma, asthma, borrowed from Greek ásthma "panting, shortness of breath, asthma (as a medical condition)," of uncertain origin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing asthma

• anti-asthma
• bronchial asthma

Rhymes for asthma

• chiasma
• plasma
• histoplasma
• mycoplasma
• toxoplasma
• miasma

Kids Definition

asthma

noun

asth·​ma ˈaz-mə 

: a condition that is marked by difficulty in breathing with wheezing, a feeling of tightness in the chest, and coughing

asthmatic

az-ˈmat-ik 

adjective or noun

asthmatically

-ˈmat-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

asthma

noun

asth·​ma ˈaz-mə 

: a chronic lung disorder that is marked by recurring episodes of airway obstruction (as from bronchospasm) manifested by labored breathing accompanied especially by wheezing and coughing and by a sense of constriction in the chest, and that is triggered by hyperreactivity to various stimuli (as allergens or rapid change in air temperature)