cough
verb (used without object)
to expel air from the lungs suddenly with a harsh noise, often involuntarily.
was coughing
-
past progressiveof cough.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
"When I reflect on that match I just think about how I couldn't breathe because I was coughing so much," said the 28-year-old.
From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026
Within hours she was coughing up mucus, and as the days went on she felt her energy levels rising again.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2025
Philip Tong had a history of diabetes and, according to the lawsuit, was having trouble breathing and was coughing up blood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2024
And in cattle experiments, some cows were infected by breathing in virus-laden microscopic droplets — the sort of thing that could happen if an infected cow was coughing in close proximity to another.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2024
He was coughing again and the boy was shivering, the two of them side by side under the sheet of plastic, pushing the grocery cart through the snow.
From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
