cough

1 of 2

verb

coughed; coughing; coughs

intransitive verb

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.

transitive verb

: to expel by coughing
often used with up
cough up mucus

cough

2 of 2

noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Children exposed to wildfire smoke may experience chest pain and tightness, breathing difficulties, coughing, and irritation in the nose, throat, and eyes, among other symptoms. Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025 Vic mumbled, coughing sleep from his throat. Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
And, since Congress expects workers and employers to be (cough) creative when characterizing wages as tips to avoid paying taxes on otherwise taxable income, Treasury is authorized to issue additional guidance to prevent abuse. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025 He was wracked by a wicked cough, no doubt caused by his constant smoking. Kim Gordon, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cough

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Old English *cohhian; akin to Middle High German kūchen to breathe heavily

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cough. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

cough

1 of 2 verb
1
: 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 noun
1
: 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

transitive verb

: to expel by coughing
often used with up
cough up mucus

cough

2 of 2 noun
1
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on cough

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