: a chronic lung disorder that is marked by recurring episodes of airway obstruction (as from bronchospasm) manifested by labored breathing accompanied especially by wheezing and coughing and by a sense of constriction in the chest, and that is triggered by hyperreactivity to various stimuli (such as allergens or rapid change in air temperature)
Examples of asthma in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Many parents from my practice share a common concern about their children taking asthma medications with steroids.
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Rhonda Conner-Warren, The Conversation, 11 Sep. 2025
With the new capital, the company plans to bring several more drugs into clinical trials, tackling diseases that include asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and obesity.
—Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
According to Thurston’s research, the month after a Pittsburgh plant stopped emitting fossil fuels, emergency hospital visits for pediatric asthma dropped by 41%—and continued declining after that.
—Matt Fuchs, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
The 11-year-old was suffering an asthma attack, which was cutting off his supply of oxygen.
—Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2025
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Rhonda Conner-Warren, The Conversation, 11 Sep. 2025
With the new capital, the company plans to bring several more drugs into clinical trials, tackling diseases that include asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and obesity.
—Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
According to Thurston’s research, the month after a Pittsburgh plant stopped emitting fossil fuels, emergency hospital visits for pediatric asthma dropped by 41%—and continued declining after that.
—Matt Fuchs, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
The 11-year-old was suffering an asthma attack, which was cutting off his supply of oxygen.
—Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for asthma
Cite this Entry
“Asthma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asthma. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
asthma
noun
asth·ma
ˈaz-mə 
: a condition that is marked by difficulty in breathing with wheezing, a feeling of tightness in the chest, and coughing
Medical Definition
asthma
noun
asth·ma
ˈaz-mə
: a chronic lung disorder that is marked by recurring episodes of airway obstruction (as from bronchospasm) manifested by labored breathing accompanied especially by wheezing and coughing and by a sense of constriction in the chest, and that is triggered by hyperreactivity to various stimuli (as allergens or rapid change in air temperature)
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