inhale

[ in-heyl ]

/ ɪnˈheɪl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR inhale ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), in·haled, in·hal·ing.

to breathe in; draw in by breathing: to inhale the polluted air.

verb (used without object), in·haled, in·hal·ing.

to breathe in, especially the smoke of cigarettes, cigars, etc.: Do you inhale when you smoke?

Nearby words

Origin of inhale

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

Related formsun·in·haled, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for inhale

If you tend to inhale your food without realizing how much you consumed, opt for nibbles like in-shell pistachio nuts.
12 Thanksgiving Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work|DailyBurn|November 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
TB, for example, is spread when I inhale the exhaled breath of a person with active disease.
The CDC Was Wrong About How to Stop Ebola|Kent Sepkowitz|October 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They emit an odor that no human being should inhale, and yet you have.
Whatever You Do Someone Will Die. A Short Story About Impossible Choices in Iraq|Nathan Bradley Bethea|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So of course, Jimmy Fallon took the opportunity to ruin it by forcing Freeman to inhale helium and pitch up his voice.
Viral Video of the Day: Morgan Freeman Sucks Helium|Alex Chancey|July 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But inhale the fumes of Republican rhetoric more deeply, and a more mind-blowing reality comes into focus.
Rubio’s Wrong on Recreational Pot|James Poulos|May 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I sauntered out, after the events recorded in the last paper, to inhale the fresh air of the morning.
Continental Monthly, Vol. II. July, 1862. No. 1.|Various
I sauntered out, after the events recorded in the last chapter, to inhale the fresh air of the morning.
Among the Pines|James R. Gilmore
I took one inhale of the interior atmosphere and decided right there that I would bivouac in the open.
A Yankee in the Trenches|R. Derby Holmes
I believe I have temporarily lost all creative power: it will come back to me, perhaps, when I inhale some Northern ozone.
The Life and Letters of Lafcadio Hearn, Volume 1|Elizabeth Bisland
He sprang from his bed, and opened the window to inhale the fresh air.
Faustus|Friedrich Maximilian von Klinger

British Dictionary definitions for inhale

inhale

/ (ɪnˈheɪl) /

verb

to draw (breath) into the lungs; breathe in

Word Origin for inhale

C18: from in- ² + Latin halāre to breathe

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for inhale

inhale

1725, "to breathe in," back-formation from inhalation or else from Latin inhalare "breathe upon," from in- "upon" (see in- (2)) + halare "breathe." Related: Inhaled; inhaling. Current sense is because the word was taken as the opposite of exhale. Slang sense of "eat rapidly" is recorded from 1924. As a noun, by 1934. Related: Inhaled; inhaling.

Medicine definitions for inhale

inhale

[ ĭn-hāl′ ]

v.

To breathe in; inspire.

To draw something such as smoke or a medicinal mist into the lungs by breathing; inspire.

inhale

verb (used with object), in·haled, in·hal·ing.

verb (used without object), in·haled, in·hal·ing.

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of inhale

Examples from the Web for inhale

inhale

verb

Word Origin for inhale

inhale

inhale

v.