Meaning & use

cough

verb·Everyday

To force air out of the lungs suddenly and noisily, often to clear the throat or airway.

See it in a sentence

He coughed loudly all through the meeting because of his cold.

The smoke made everyone in the room start coughing at once.

A note on using this word

As a noun, 'a cough' can describe either a single instance or a persistent condition, as in 'a lingering cough.'

Words with a similar meaning

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