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
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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:
We inhale and ingest them from almost everything we touch, breathe, eat and drink.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Did he inhale too deeply the vapors of power?
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 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
His chest felt so bloated with heartbreak that his lungs struggled to inhale.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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
When it goes sideways, the kid inhales deeply, trains a hard glare on Asher, and says, “I curse you.”
From Salon ● Nov. 19, 2023
She pulls a rose down from a hanging branch, closing her eyes as she inhales the scent, the petals velvet soft against her skin.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
He inhaled it in a few days, and then reread it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
When inhaled, these microscopic particles can enter the lungs and bloodstream, potentially causing swelling and inflammation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 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
Earlier research from UTS has examined how microplastics are inhaled and where they settle in the lungs.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 13, 2026
One day while diving she’d got her foot stuck in a rock crevice, and by the time her fellow clam pickers reached her she’d inhaled too much water.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
“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
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
She remembered trailing behind her grandmother cutting roses in her garden, lugging bucketfuls of flowers and inhaling the sweetness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 9, 2026
But due to the health risks from inhaling asbestos, the importation of blue and brown asbestos has been banned in the UK since 1985.
From BBC ● Dec. 10, 2025
Now, by the time I reached the top of the craggy hill, each ragged breath felt like inhaling fire.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
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.
