inhale

verb

in·​hale in-ˈhāl 

inhaled; inhaling

transitive verb

1

: to draw in by breathing

2

: to take in eagerly or greedily

… inhaled about four meals at once.

—Ring Lardner

intransitive verb

: to breathe in

inhale

in-ˈhāl 

ˈin-ˌhāl

noun

Synonyms of inhale

• devour
• gulp
• cram

Examples of inhale in a Sentence

This medicine can now be inhaled.

She inhaled the fresh country air.

He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, trying to relax.

After inhaling their dinner, the children ran out the door without even saying goodbye.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Midcentury Modern library where Rosales first inhaled the aroma of old books has changed. — Myriam Gurba, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

However, hundreds of people died and thousands struggled with cancer or chronic illnesses after inhaling toxic fumes. — Veronica Bravo, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Other critics in Congress have focused on products that can be inhaled and high-potency candy products, as well as the lack of THC caps and testing requirements for those products. — Brandon Gomez, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026

The process would be similar to inhaling allergy medicine via a nasal spray. — Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

in- + exhale

First Known Use

1725, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for inhale

• airmail
• assail
• avail
• bewail
• blackmail
• cattail
• cocktail
• curtail
• derail
• detail
• dovetail
• email

Kids Definition

inhale

verb

in·​hale in-ˈhā(ə)l 

inhaled; inhaling

1

: to draw in by breathing

2

: to breathe in

Medical Definition

inhale

verb

in·​hale in-ˈhā(ə)l 

inhaled; inhaling

transitive verb

: to draw in by breathing

intransitive verb

: to breathe in