wheeze

verb \ ˈhwēz , ˈwēz \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of wheeze

wheezed; wheezing

intransitive verb

1 : to breathe with difficulty usually with a whistling sound

2 : to make a sound resembling that of wheezing

the bellows wheezed

See wheeze defined for English-language learners

See wheeze defined for kids

Examples of wheeze in a Sentence

He was up all night hacking and wheezing.
The car's motor wheezed and stalled.

Recent Examples of wheeze from the Web

The little house on Prairie Road rattled and wheezed as the wind ripped through its small rooms and narrow hallways with the roar of a thousand freight trains.

— martin kuz, San Antonio Express-News, "After the hurricane, the storm within," 9 Apr. 2018
But as long as some children have this respiratory vulnerability—and some always will—then allowing pollution to fill our air will make some children wheeze, and cough, and die.

— rob verger, Newsweek, "Newsweek Rewind: 15 Years After Columbine, a Nation Still Asks ‘Why?’," 17 Apr. 2014
Trent Harmon -- Idol wheezed to a 15th and final season with perhaps its most forgettable winner, Mississippi crooner Harmon, who kept things on an even keel with performances of songs by OneRepublic, Chris Stapleton, Justin Timberlake and Sia.

— gil kaufman, Billboard, "'American Idol,' Where Are They Now? From Jennifer Hudson to Sanjaya, Clay Aiken, Daughtry & Ruben Studdard," 9 Mar. 2018
Leisy said his hospital has been flooded with elderly snowbirds - often already dealing with chronic conditions and now wheezing from coughs and struggling with fever.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "This flu season is on track to be one of the worst in 15 years," 28 Jan. 2018
Like a stock car that ran out of gas in the final stretch of a race, Alabama wheezed and coughed at the end of its regular season before suffering a miserable fate.

— rainer sabin, AL.com, "Alabama falls to Texas A&M in wretched finale," 3 Mar. 2018
Reich was one of the brains behind the K-Gun, Buffalo’s famous no-huddle scheme that left defenses wheezing and pulled the Bills to four straight Super Bowls.

— zak keefer, Indianapolis Star, "The backup, the pastor, the coach: Frank Reich's road to the Colts," 16 Feb. 2018
Leisy said his hospital has been flooded with elderly snowbirds - often already dealing with chronic conditions and now wheezing from coughs and struggling with fever.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "This flu season is on track to be one of the worst in 15 years," 28 Jan. 2018
Leisy said his hospital has been flooded with elderly snowbirds — often already dealing with chronic conditions and now wheezing from coughs and struggling with fever.

— william wan, Washington Post, "This flu season is on track to be the worst in nearly a decade," 26 Jan. 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of wheeze

Middle English whesen, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse hvæsa to hiss; akin to Old English hwǣst action of blowing, Sanskrit śvasiti he blows, snorts

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

wheeze Synonyms

Synonyms

blow, gasp, heave, hyperventilate, pant, puff;

Related Words

choke, gag, gulp, huff;

asphyxiate, smother, stifle, strangle;

snore, snuffle;

exhale, expire;

Phrases

be out of breath;

wheeze

noun

Definition of wheeze

1 : a sound of wheezing

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

b : a trite saying or proverb

See wheeze defined for English-language learners

Examples of wheeze in a Sentence

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 of wheeze from the Web

But while the category recognized such hard rock leading lights as Metallica and Jane's Addiction, the award ended up going to Crest of a Knave, the 16th album from prog-rock wheeze kids Jethro Tull.

— andrew unterberger, Billboard, "60 Grammys, 60 Moments: The Greatest Moment From Every Grammys Ceremony So Far," 26 Jan. 2018
The answer is not, as is suggested now, including by some at National Review, ‘a return to congressional government.’ That is a fraud and merely the latest wheeze of the never-Trumpers.

— conrad black, National Review, "As the Mockery Dwindles," 6 Sep. 2017
The new performances up the intensity, which is only further heightened by the nasty rasp and sinister wheeze that age has visited upon Lunch’s voice.

— peter margasak, Chicago Reader, "Postpunk chanteuse Lydia Lunch sounds more vital than ever fronting the career-spanning Retrovirus," 13 July 2017
Or is this all just a teenage wheeze to escape boredom?

— tony lacy-thompson, The Mercury News, "Eight short plays add up to a fine time at the theater," 18 May 2017
Perhaps the best known of these was the John Birch Society, founded in 1958 as a dying wheeze of McCarthyism.

— graeme wood, The Atlantic, "His Kampf," 14 May 2017
The coughs to clear my throat became involuntary and more violent, with the whistling rattle of a wheeze.

— vann r. newkirk ii, The Atlantic, "How to Beat Asthma," 5 July 2017

First Known Use of wheeze

1800

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

WHEEZE Defined for English Language Learners

wheeze

verb

Definition of wheeze for English Language Learners

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

wheeze

noun

Definition of wheeze for English Language Learners

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

WHEEZE Defined for Kids

wheeze

verb \ ˈhwēz , ˈwēz \

Definition of wheeze for Students

wheezed; wheezing

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

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

wheeze

noun

Definition of wheeze for Students

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

Medical Dictionary

wheeze

intransitive verb \ ˈhwēz , ˈwēz \

medical Definition of wheeze

wheezed; wheezing

: to breathe with difficulty usually with a whistling sound

wheeze

noun

medical Definition of wheeze

: a sibilant whistling sound caused by difficult or obstructed respiration

Learn More about wheeze

See words that rhyme with wheeze Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for wheeze Spanish Central: Translation of wheeze Nglish: Translation of wheeze for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of wheeze for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wheeze

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wheeze

Definition of wheeze

Examples of wheeze in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of wheeze

wheeze Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Phrases

wheeze

Definition of wheeze

Examples of wheeze in a Sentence

Recent Examples of wheeze from the Web

First Known Use of wheeze

WHEEZE Defined for English Language Learners

wheeze

Definition of wheeze for English Language Learners

wheeze

Definition of wheeze for English Language Learners

WHEEZE Defined for Kids

wheeze

Definition of wheeze for Students

wheeze

Definition of wheeze for Students

Medical Dictionary

wheeze

medical Definition of wheeze

wheeze

medical Definition of wheeze

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