cough
Americanverb (used without object)
-
coughs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
coughed,
past participle, past
-
coughing
present participle
-
to expel air from the lungs suddenly with a harsh noise, often involuntarily.
-
(of an internal-combustion engine) to make a similar noise as a result of the failure of one or more cylinders to fire in sequence.
-
to make a similar sound, as a machine gun firing in spurts.
verb (used with object)
-
coughs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
coughed,
past participle, past
-
coughing
present participle
noun
-
coughs
plural
-
the act or sound of coughing.
-
an illness characterized by frequent coughing.
-
a sound similar to a cough, a machine gun, or an engine firing improperly.
verb phrase
verb
-
(intr) to expel air or solid matter from the lungs abruptly and explosively through the partially closed vocal chords
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(intr) to make a sound similar to this
-
(tr) to utter or express with a cough or coughs
-
slang (intr) to confess to a crime
noun
-
an act, instance, or sound of coughing
-
a condition of the lungs or throat that causes frequent coughing
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
coughsimple
-
coughssimple
-
have coughedperfect
-
has coughedperfect
-
am coughingprogressive
-
are coughingprogressive
-
is coughingprogressive
-
have been coughingperfect progressive
-
has been coughingperfect progressive
Past
-
coughedsimple
-
had coughedperfect
-
was coughingprogressive
-
were coughingprogressive
-
had been coughingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of cough
1275–1325; Middle English coghen, apparently < Old English *cohhian (compare its derivative cohhettan to cough); akin to Dutch kuchen to cough, German keuchen to wheeze
Explanation
A cough is a reflex in which your throat or lungs are cleared by a sudden, sharp burst of air escaping. A bad cough can make it very hard to sleep at night. A cough is evidence that someone's sick, and it's a verb as well: "She began to cough and couldn't stop until someone brought her a bottle of water." You can also describe a cough-like sound that an engine makes when it's not working properly as a cough. The Old English source of cough is coughen, from a Germanic root — every version of the word is imitative, the word itself sounding like a cough.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"I've been sick, I've been short of breath, I've had a cough too, but because I must provide care... I just carry on," the 28-year-old told AFP on Thursday at a public clinic.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
The memo encouraged donors to cough up another $17 million over the next two weeks.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
At later stages, lung cancer can cause a persistent cough, breathlessness, fatigue and weight loss.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
The drugstore chain Walgreens has seen a double-digit jump in sales of cold and flu medications as well as cough drops, according to a report in ABC News.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
A cough from across the room brings me back to myself.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
“If you designed your Muse avatar or if you designed your Dot in the likeness of your pet, perhaps you would feel a little bit more forgiving if your pet coughs up a hairball, right?”
From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026
The measles spreads easily through the air when an infected person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
It had the power to soothe the roughest of sore throats and quiet the phlegmiest of coughs.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
In an actual courtroom, court reporters record nonverbal cues like gestures and transcribe through distracting courtroom noises like coughs or door slams.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
Ma coughs softly, but I need to tell this story on my own.
From "Dragons in a Bag" by Zetta Elliott
Pittsburgh won here last year, but the Patriots coughed up a bunch of fumbles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
Around 20,000 years ago, a cave was home to generations of owls that regularly coughed up pellets containing the bones of their prey.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026
In two separate games, the Eagles and Commanders both coughed up wins in jaw-dropping fashion because of their own time-management in the final moments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
I coughed over the sink, hardly able to get a breath, until I gagged and drooled into the drain.
From Slate ● Jun. 13, 2026
It was hard for Natalie to stand, to keep her feet planted in the shifting water, but she braced her legs and held her mother up as she coughed and spat and retched.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
“Or whatever the digital version of coughing up a hairball is.”
From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026
Larger nodules can cause shortness of breath, chest pain and persistent coughing -- sometimes with blood.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
The review also found an association with wheezing, coughing, poor oral and dental health, poor sleep, mental health problems and eye symptoms.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
And he’s just coughing so hard it just makes you feel short of breath.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Just then, the Gran broke into a coughing fit, sending the Uncle into a panic.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
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