cough

1 of 2

verb

ˈkȯf 

coughed; coughing; coughs

intransitive verb

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.

transitive verb

: to expel by coughing

—often used with up

cough up mucus

cough

2 of 2

noun

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

Verb

The virus spreads by coughing and sneezing, kissing and hugging, and contact with contaminated surfaces like doorknobs or keys. —Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025

Symptoms include coughing, fever, stuffy or runny nose and shortness of breath, and may progress to bronchitis or pneumonia, where the lung airways or lungs themselves become inflamed. —Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025

Noun

Typical symptoms from particle pollution include redness of the eyes, watery eyes and cough. —Omer Awan, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025

Cold symptoms, like runny nose and cough, generally tend to be mild. —Korin Miller, Verywell Health, 10 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Old English *cohhian; akin to Middle High German kūchen to breathe heavily

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing cough

• cough drop
• cough mixture
• cough syrup
• cough up
• hacking cough
• smoker's cough
• whooping cough

Video

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Some imitative words are more surprising than others

Kids Definition

cough

1 of 2 verb

ˈkȯf 

1

: 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 noun

1

: a condition marked by repeated or frequent coughing

2

: an act or sound of coughing

Medical Definition

cough

1 of 2 intransitive verb

ˈkȯf 

: to expel air from the lungs suddenly with a sharp, short noise usually in a series of efforts

transitive verb

: to expel by coughing

—often used with up

cough up mucus

cough

2 of 2 noun

1

: 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