asthma

American  

[az-muh, as-] / ˈæz mə, ˈæs- /

noun

• asthmas
  plural

1. Pathology. a paroxysmal, often allergic disorder of respiration, characterized by bronchospasm, wheezing, and difficulty in expiration, often accompanied by coughing and a feeling of constriction in the chest.

---

asthma British  

/ ˈæsmə /

noun

1. a respiratory disorder, often of allergic origin, characterized by difficulty in breathing, wheezing, and a sense of constriction in the chest

---

asthma Scientific  

/ ăz′mə /

1. A common inflammatory disease of the lungs characterized by episodic airway obstruction caused by extensive narrowing of the bronchi and bronchioles. The narrowing is caused by spasm of smooth muscle, edema of the mucosa, and the presence of mucus in the airway resulting from an immunologic reaction that can be induced by allergies, irritants, infection, stress, and other factors in a genetically predisposed individual. Common symptoms of asthma include wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.

---

asthma Cultural  

1. A chronic disease of the respiratory system, characterized by sudden, recurring attacks of difficult breathing, wheezing, and coughing. During an attack, the bronchial tubes go into spasms, becoming narrower and less able to move air into the lungs. Various substances to which the sufferer has an allergy, such as animal hair, dust, pollen, or certain foods, can trigger an attack.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• asthmas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of asthma

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Greek: “a panting,” akin to aázein “to breathe hard”; replacing Middle English asma, from Medieval Latin, from Greek ásthma

Explanation

Asthma is a respiratory condition that involves allergies and your lungs: people with asthma have trouble breathing at times. Asthma is a very common disorder that makes breathing difficult. An allergic reaction, too much exercise, or just being stressed out can bring on an asthma attack. When someone has an asthma attack, it's very hard for them to get a good breath of air. Fortunately, asthma is not usually a life-threatening disease, and people who are asthmatic are fine most of the time.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

asthma asthmas

According to her father, Charles Dunn, Knowings died Tuesday in Long Beach after she suffered a severe asthma attack on Aug. 7 and went into cardiac arrest.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

"Thus we need to wait until school age to ultimately test if paracetamol in the first year of life causes asthma."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026

GSK recently launched blood-cancer drug Blenrep and asthma treatment Exdensur, while lung-cancer medicine Jideytro—which the company bought through its acquisition of Nuvalent—received U.S. approval last month.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

But the American people will suffer greatly as a result of these illegal actions, in the form of additional premature deaths, asthma attacks, hospitalizations, and other serious health consequences.

From Slate ● Aug. 2, 2026

He passed the time remembering and fighting against asthma.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The EPA said that both times, the state recorded high levels of particulate matter, which can cause heart attacks, asthmas and chronic health conditions.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 8, 2023

The student soon learned the physiognomy of disease by going about with his master; fevers, pleurisies, asthmas, dropsies, fluxes, small-pox, sore-throats, measles, consumptions.

From Medical Essays, 1842-1882 by Oliver Wendell Holmes

The asthmas, which have been induced in consequence of the recess of eruptions, especially of the leprous kind, countenance this opinion.

From Zoonomia, Vol. II Or, the Laws of Organic Life by Erasmus Darwin

It has chiefly been employed in humoural asthmas.

From The Botanist's Companion, Volume II by William Salisbury

The Leaves.—They have a subtile subacrid taste, and are recommended as vulneraries, and in asthmas and hectic fevers, and such disorders as are occasioned by drinking cold liquors when the body has been much heated.

From The Botanist's Companion, Volume II by William Salisbury