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
Jeannette Moninger, Parents, 11 June 2024
Respiratory signs raise red flags: if the virus can be spread through coughing, this would be a significant step toward human-to-human spread.
—Kay Russo, Scientific American, 11 June 2024
Brenda Goodman, CNN, 11 June 2024
She was diagnosed in 2014 after months of being unable to shake off a cough.
—Sarah Scott, Verywell Health, 11 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for cough 
Verb
Try not to give your child an ice-cold juice that is highly acidic like orange juice, since the acidity can increase discomfort in a throat that's raw and sore from coughing.
—Jeannette Moninger, Parents, 11 June 2024
Respiratory signs raise red flags: if the virus can be spread through coughing, this would be a significant step toward human-to-human spread.
—Kay Russo, Scientific American, 11 June 2024
Noun
As Covid has shown, all of this could change in the the rub of an eye or a small cough.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN, 11 June 2024
She was diagnosed in 2014 after months of being unable to shake off a cough.
—Sarah Scott, Verywell Health, 11 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for cough
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cough.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near cough
Cite this Entry
“Cough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cough. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.
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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