inhale
Americanverb (used with object)
-
inhales,
present (3rd person singular)
-
inhaled,
past participle, past
-
inhaling
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
inhales,
present (3rd person singular)
-
inhaled,
past participle, past
-
inhaling
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
inhalesimple
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inhalessimple
-
have inhaledperfect
-
has inhaledperfect
-
am inhalingprogressive
-
are inhalingprogressive
-
is inhalingprogressive
-
have been inhalingperfect progressive
-
has been inhalingperfect progressive
Past
-
inhaledsimple
-
had inhaledperfect
-
was inhalingprogressive
-
were inhalingprogressive
-
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:
We inhale and ingest them from almost everything we touch, breathe, eat and drink.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
However, Dr. Udelsman says it could potentially pose some risk because people nearby may inhale inflammatory particles that are believed to contribute to cancer development.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026
There is a risk of drowning if you inhale water.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
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
It was as if she were trying to inhale the education that wafted so casually from my pores.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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
And she inhales them at a rate that makes me wonder if she actually has the job she claims to have or spends all day curled up with the Modern Library.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 16, 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
He nestles his face in the crook of my neck and inhales deep.
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
When coal dust is repeatedly inhaled over time, it causes scarring in the lungs that makes it difficult to breathe.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
When disturbed, it can be inhaled which can cause serious diseases and cancer, like diffuse mesothelioma.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
After being inhaled, they can pass from the lungs into the bloodstream and travel to organs throughout the body.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026
He inhaled it in a few days, and then reread it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Pond inhaled and forced out a great warm gust.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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
The hopes of finding them alive were fading fast, since people can survive only so long trapped beneath the rubble without water while inhaling suffocating dust.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Most often, people become infected with these viruses by inhaling aerosolized urine or droppings from infected rodents.
From Salon ● May 9, 2026
Hantavirus is most commonly spread by inhaling particles contaminated with the virus — such as dried mouse urine, saliva or droppings.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026
Simon squeezes my hand and tugs me forward, inhaling sharply.
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
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.
