cough
verb (used without object)
to expel air from the lungs suddenly with a harsh noise, often involuntarily.
were 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.
“They were coughing nonstop, their eyes were red and there were all these burn marks on their skin,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 18, 2025
Their most common complaints were coughing and fatigue.
From Slate ● Mar. 19, 2023
It appears that flying predators were coughing up big pellets in the dinosaur era, too.
From New York Times ● Feb. 7, 2022
Zookeepers first noticed last weekend that the big cats were coughing and sneezing.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 17, 2021
Half the football players were coughing from the polluted air.
From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer
