sneeze
Americanverb (used without object)
-
sneezes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sneezed,
past participle, past
-
sneezing
present participle
noun
-
sneezes
plural
verb phrase
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
sneezesimple
-
sneezessimple
-
have sneezedperfect
-
has sneezedperfect
-
am sneezingprogressive
-
are sneezingprogressive
-
is sneezingprogressive
-
have been sneezingperfect progressive
-
has been sneezingperfect progressive
Past
-
sneezedsimple
-
had sneezedperfect
-
was sneezingprogressive
-
were sneezingprogressive
-
had been sneezingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sneeze
1485–95; earlier snese; replacing Middle English fnese, Old English fnēosan; cognate with Dutch fniezen, Old Norse fnȳsa
Explanation
When you sneeze, you blow air forcefully (and involuntarily) out of your nose and mouth, possibly while making a sound that might be spelled "achoo!" Allergies, pepper, and dust are all famous for making people sneeze. Behind every sneeze is some kind of irritant, a foreign substance that bothers the mucous membranes inside your nose. Pollen, cat dander, and the inflammation of your nose caused by a cold virus can all cause a sneeze (or several sneezes). When you sneeze, muscles in your face, neck, and chest contract reflexively. In rare cases, very bright lights or eating a large meal can make people sneeze. Go figure!
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:
If the U.S. has a financial sneeze, the rest of the world doesn’t get a nasty cold.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
He made her sneeze and caused watery eyes and severe rashes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Interest surged in 2020 when the star unexpectedly dimmed after what was described as a stellar "sneeze."
From Science Daily ● Jan. 10, 2026
I’m particularly fond of how the Na’vi express themselves in hisses and coyote yips and exhale the foreign name Jake Sully like a sneeze.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2025
Our walls were so thin in that apartment, you could sneeze and people two floors down would say Bless you!
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
The old adage that the rest of the world sneezes when the U.S. catches a cold very much applies to bonds as well.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
The measles spreads easily through the air when an infected person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
It sometimes occurs when a person sneezes or coughs vigorously, or pokes or rubs their eye.
From BBC ● Jan. 20, 2026
And if tech sneezes, global financial markets—starting with the U.S.—will catch a cold.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2025
A young woman sneezes and the red- haired woman laughs.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
When I competed in Poland someone sneezed in my face at the airport.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
I felt a stab of pain whenever I coughed or sneezed.
From Slate ● Mar. 29, 2026
Then one time, he sneezed, and my cousin said, “Bless you.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2025
Though initially, this created a buzz that Betelgeuse might go supernova any minute, scientists soon found out that the dimming was actually due to a large fluff of dust that the monster sneezed out.
From Space Scoop ● Aug. 20, 2025
By the grace, no doubt, of God, Mrs. Breedlove sneezed.
From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
University students are particularly at risk because they mix with lots of new people, and the bacteria that causes meningitis is spread in similar ways to the common cold through sneezing and coughing.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Since March, government figures show nearly 750 people, mostly children, have died from the highly contagious disease, which spreads easily through breathing, coughing or sneezing.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
It can spread through coughing and sneezing, and remain infectious in the air up to two hours after an infected person has left a room.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026
Before he ran out of road, he pulled within sneezing distance of the car in front of him and used the draft to slingshot around into second.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026
Or if they weren’t actually feeling sick yet, it was clear to them that with everyone coughing, sneezing, and wheezing all around them, it was only a matter of time.
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
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.
