inhale

American  

[in-heyl] / ɪnˈheɪl /

verb (used with object)

inhaled, inhaling

1. to breathe in; draw in by breathing.

   to inhale the polluted air.

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verb (used without object)

inhaled, inhaling

1. to breathe in, especially the smoke of cigarettes, cigars, etc..

   Do you inhale when you smoke?

inhale British  

/ ɪnˈheɪl /

verb

1. to draw (breath) into the lungs; breathe in

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Other Word Forms

• uninhaled adjective

Etymology

Origin of inhale

First recorded in 1715–25; in- ² + (ex)hale

Explanation

To inhale is to breathe in. It is the opposite of "exhale," which is to breathe out. When we inhale, we draw air into our lungs through our noses and mouths. Then we exhale, or breathe the air out again. If we do this slowly, as in yoga or meditation, it can be quite relaxing. However, some things like smoke, toxic fumes, or germs might make us sick if we inhale them. And if we accidentally inhale water while we're swimming, it makes us sputter and cough. This is because our lungs are only interested in good, clean air.

Example Sentences

I would close my eyes and inhale deeply, bracing myself for what was coming: a strange cocktail of sadness, panic, and the most bone-deep exhaustion I’ve ever experienced.

From Slate • Mar. 15, 2026

"One of my most frequent tics is I clench my stomach and that makes me inhale air, which means that I'm constantly bloated," Smith says.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

The stores are packed on weekends with teens who inhale frozen yogurt.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

Each day, people inhale millions of microscopic particles, including soot, dust, pollen, microplastics, viruses, and engineered nanoparticles.

From Science Daily • Feb. 8, 2026

Many of the Japanese would scoop up or pluck the aromatic leaves and boil them and inhale the steam, claiming that it was good for colds; others felt that camphor steam could be harmful.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• puff
• smell
• sniff
• snort
• suck in