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
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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:
His staff focus on efforts to prevent illness caused by "the unhealthy air people inhale every day".
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
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
When I inhale, my stomach must inflate like a balloon.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
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
He inhales deeply, puts his phone into the back pocket of his too-tight shorts, and crosses his arms.
From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi
When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they can become trapped in the lungs, where they trigger chronic inflammation that may eventually lead to cancer decades later.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026
"It's like when there were no masks. When they appeared at KEK, it was too late because we had already inhaled it," he said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
The gallery mostly follows his instructions as Maduro and Flores were led into the chamber shortly after noon, but some murmured or inhaled breath as he walked past.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 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
While handling the moldy dishes, she experienced “stomach pain, a headache and a strange sensation in her nose, which she believed was caused by inhaling the fuzzy mold,” the union’s complaint said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
That's when cold water can cause a sudden heart attack by increasing your heart rate, or making you gasp for breath and inhaling water directly into the lungs, leading to drowning.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 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
Because methylsiloxanes appear to be present almost everywhere in the atmosphere, researchers say people are likely inhaling them continuously.
From Science Daily ● May 13, 2026
And so we did, inhaling deeply and then exhaling as if to flicker the candle but not extinguish it.
From "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green
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.
