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
At least her feet were on the ground and she was coughing now.
From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline
