wheeze

\ ˈhwēz

How to pronounce wheeze (audio)

, ˈwēz \

wheezed; wheezing

Definition of wheeze

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to breathe with difficulty usually with a whistling sound

2 : to make a sound resembling that of wheezing the bellows wheezed

wheeze

Definition of wheeze (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a sound of wheezing

2a : an often repeated and widely known joke used especially by entertainers

b : a trite saying or proverb

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about wheeze

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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: Verb When her daughter started wheezing, Sainz stopped taking her to the park. — Erin Stone, azcentral, "Winter air really is worse in south, west Phoenix. Here's why," 31 Dec. 2019 There are photos of the president grinning out from the middle of some ruddy array of wheezing burghers or gouty lawmen, always shot from far enough away that everyone’s shoes are visible. — David Roth, The New Republic, "A Unified Theory of the Trumps’ Creepy Aesthetic," 19 Dec. 2019 That may help explain the desperation to get ahead, manifested by their factcheckUK wheeze. — The Economist, "The Tories’ dodgy “factcheckUK” tweets are a taste of what’s to come," 21 Nov. 2019 Instead, it’s gone the other way, and the Huskies are wheezing to the finish line at 6-5 going into the Apple Cup. — Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, "Misery Index: Miami suffers unquestioned worst loss in school history; Oregon melts down," 24 Nov. 2019 Besides, listening to co-workers sneeze and wheeze is a distraction. — Rhett Power, chicagotribune.com, "Fight the flu at your office," 1 Nov. 2019 As the rumbling engine wheezed to a stop, a hush fell over the bus’ interior, and its quivering floor suddenly stopped vibrating. — Dominic Fracassa, SFChronicle.com, "Muni tries to tackle environmental justice with new SF green bus zones," 2 Oct. 2019 The two duked it out for a round, with the larger Trafton holding the edge, then danced and wheezed for the remainder of the fight. — Will Larkin, chicagotribune.com, "Ranking the 100 best Bears players ever: No. 28, George Trafton," 8 Aug. 2019 Special economic zones and tax reform are among the wheezes his wonks propose. — The Economist, "Guatemala’s president-elect promises “sufficient testosterone”," 15 Aug. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun There's a zingy wheeze when this engine revs up, but there's good power when it's prodded. — Mike Sutton, Car and Driver, "Do the 2020 Jeep Wrangler's New Engines Improve the Icon?," 7 Jan. 2020 The legend made sense when Stripey emitted an uneven wheeze reminiscent of someone trying desperately to stop laughing long enough to catch her breath. — Helen Sullivan, New York Times, "In Lebanon, the Hyena’s Main Fear Is Fear Itself," 30 Oct. 2019 Others worry that the bankruptcy is a financial wheeze which lets the company and its owners off too easily. — The Economist, "How to divvy up the remains of Purdue Pharma," 19 Sep. 2019 There needs to be international cooperation to fight corporate wheezes. — Washington Post, "Ireland’s ‘Bono’ Tax Defense Is a Tired Old Tune," 30 Sep. 2019 Others worry that the bankruptcy is a financial wheeze which lets the company and its owners off too easily. — The Economist, "Purdue Pharma files for bankruptcy," 16 Sep. 2019 Team Johnson has since floated a number of wheezes to circumvent this, from requesting that a friendly EU member state vetoes the request, thereby guaranteeing a no-deal Brexit, or simply ignoring the instruction. — Luke Mcgee, CNN, "Boris Johnson is trapped in a Brexit prison he helped build," 14 Sep. 2019 The latest wheeze is charging fans 400 rupees to meet him. — The Economist, "This Indian TikTok star wants you to know his name," 13 Sep. 2019 The latest wheeze is charging fans 400 rupees (£4.60) to meet him. — Snigdha Poonam, 1843, "This Indian TikTok star wants you to know his name," 12 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wheeze.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

12 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Wheeze.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wheeze. Accessed 20 January 2020.

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More Definitions for wheeze

wheeze

verb

English Language Learners Definition of wheeze

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to breathe loudly and with difficulty

: to make a sound like a person who is breathing with difficulty

wheeze

noun

English Language Learners Definition of wheeze (Entry 2 of 2)

: the sound made by a person who is having difficulty breathing or a similar sound : the sound of wheezing

British, informal : a clever idea or joke

See the full definition for wheeze in the English Language Learners Dictionary

wheeze

\ ˈhwēz

, ˈwēz \

wheezed; wheezing

Kids Definition of wheeze

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to breathe with difficulty and usually with a whistling sound

2 : to make a whistling sound like someone having difficulty breathing

wheeze

Kids Definition of wheeze (Entry 2 of 2)

: a whistling sound like that made by someone having difficulty breathing

wheeze

intransitive verb

\ ˈhwēz

, ˈwēz

\

wheezed; wheezing

Medical Definition of wheeze

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to breathe with difficulty usually with a whistling sound

wheeze

Medical Definition of wheeze (Entry 2 of 2)

: a sibilant whistling sound caused by difficult or obstructed respiration

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