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
Soon came the sound of profuse coughing. Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2025 It is spread through close contact with an infected person, such as through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing. Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
Those sacs of air fill with fluid or pus, causing a cough with phlegm or pus, fever, chills and trouble breathing, according to the clinic. Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2025 Anyone who was at an exposure location and develops symptoms — which include fever, rash, cough, runny nose and red, itchy eyes — should contact their health care provider by phone. Katie Langford, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 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 17 Oct. 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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