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
Graham Averill, Outside, 28 Oct. 2025
The signs of bird flu in dogs and cats include fever, lethargy, low appetite, red or inflamed eyes, discharge from eyes and nose, coughing or sneezing, difficulty breathing and neurologic signs such as tremors, seizures, incoordination or blindness, according to the AVMA.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Lauren O'Connor, Health, 21 Oct. 2025
The most common symptoms of flu include fever, headache, cough, sore throat and muscle aches.
—Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cough
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Verb
Other visitors have reported hearing coughing from the TB cabins, or being shoved even though no one was near.
—Graham Averill, Outside, 28 Oct. 2025
The signs of bird flu in dogs and cats include fever, lethargy, low appetite, red or inflamed eyes, discharge from eyes and nose, coughing or sneezing, difficulty breathing and neurologic signs such as tremors, seizures, incoordination or blindness, according to the AVMA.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
Ginger contains compounds called polysaccharides that have natural anti-tussive (cough-suppressing) properties.
—Lauren O'Connor, Health, 21 Oct. 2025
The most common symptoms of flu include fever, headache, cough, sore throat and muscle aches.
—Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Oct. 2025
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 31 Oct. 2025.
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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