wheezed; wheezing
1
: to breathe with difficulty usually with a whistling sound
2
: to make a sound resembling that of wheezing
the bellows wheezed
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 in a Sentence
Verb
He was up all night hacking and wheezing.
The car's motor wheezed and stalled.
Noun
Between gasps and wheezes, he tried to explain what had happened.
the wheeze of an engine
We can count on him for a good wheeze.
Recent Examples on the Web
Robert Rubsam, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
The film wheezes through its less-than-80-minute running time, and no one seems all that sad to move on.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 13 Sep. 2025
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
Like the sound of a false leg, upon which every step becomes a little wheeze.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for wheeze
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Verb
One room cracked up at a vulgar joke about a woman’s behind, while another went for an outrageous and surreal midfilm montage — but each bit was made genuinely funnier by the dozens of people gasping and wheezing over it.
—Robert Rubsam, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
The film wheezes through its less-than-80-minute running time, and no one seems all that sad to move on.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
Dohnányi missed its characterful wheeze.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
Like the sound of a false leg, upon which every step becomes a little wheeze.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for wheeze
Cite this Entry
“Wheeze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wheeze. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wheeze
1 of 2 verb
ˈhwēz 
ˈwēz
wheezed; wheezing
1
: to breathe with difficulty especially with a whistling sound
2
: to make a sound like wheezing
wheeze
2 of 2 noun
: a wheezing sound
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