inhale
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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inhalesimple
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inhalessimple
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have inhaledperfect
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has inhaledperfect
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am inhalingprogressive
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are inhalingprogressive
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is inhalingprogressive
-
have been inhalingperfect progressive
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has been inhalingperfect progressive
Past
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inhaledsimple
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had inhaledperfect
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was inhalingprogressive
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were inhalingprogressive
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had been inhalingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of inhale
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.
Vocabulary lists containing inhale
Inside Out & Back Again
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"A Poem for My Librarian, Mrs. Long," Vocabulary from the poem
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American Street
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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:
Lead is a potent neurotoxin that can stunt the brain development and lead to behavioral issues in young children that inhale or ingest it.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
People and animals can inhale them, raising concerns about potential health effects.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 2026
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
“I nail my mouth to the evil taste of lipstick, inhale the scent of someone else’s lipstick…”
From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2026
She watched a few minutes more, and when the men didn’t return, she drew in a long inhale and exhaled slowly.
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
First, hantavirus is a family of viruses that typically spreads to humans from rodent droppings or urine such as when someone inhales particles near infected rodents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026
With other hantaviruses, infections occur when a person is exposed to or inhales the dried droppings, urine or saliva of infected rodents.
From MarketWatch ● May 12, 2026
"A child playing on the floor inhales even more because the concentrations of particles are greater closer to the ground."
From Science Daily ● Apr. 30, 2024
All the stress and strain of going to the theater subsides the moment the lights go down and a roomful of strangers collectively inhales in anticipation of magic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2023
Dad inhales sharply and Aunt Melissa’s lips press together.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
But fallen ash still poses major health risks if ingested or inhaled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Katie said his allergies are no longer airborne - meaning they can be inhaled - since starting the treatment 18 month ago.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
When it is inhaled, through smoking or in industrial settings, it can cause lung cancer, according to the World Health Organization.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
While these approaches worked, they raised safety concerns because the materials can be dangerous if inhaled during manufacturing.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 26, 2026
She inhaled deeply, lifted her pointer finger to the air, and said, “Feel that? The warm and the cool?”
From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia
Worsak Kanok Nukulchai, a professor specialising in structural engineering, believes many people would have died by inhaling toxic smoke "even before getting burned".
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
“If she were inhaling steam that was like 120 degrees Fahrenheit, imagine that in the back of your throat,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
Typically, hantavirus spreads by inhaling particles contaminated with the urine, feces or saliva of wild rodents.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026
While washing food can remove most of the chemicals, direct exposure from inhaling Roundup while it’s sprayed on crops likely carries a much higher risk.
From Salon ● May 1, 2026
He turned the pages, inhaling with each turn.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
