inhale

[ in-heyl ]

verb (used with object)

, in·haled, in·hal·ing.

1. to breathe in; draw in by breathing:

   to inhale the polluted air.

verb (used without object)

, in·haled, in·hal·ing.

1. to breathe in, especially the smoke of cigarettes, cigars, etc.:

   Do you inhale when you smoke?

inhale

/ ɪnˈheɪl /

verb

1. to draw (breath) into the lungs; breathe in

Other Words From

• unin·haled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of inhale¹

First recorded in 1715–25; in- ² + (ex)hale

Word History and Origins

Origin of inhale¹

C18: from in- ² + Latin halāre to breathe

Example Sentences

Every breath you take, you are inhaling toxic chemicals.

From Salon

A month before his sacking, he had warned against using traditional means of treating patients for Covid, such as inhaling boiled herbs, saying this would block the respiratory system.

From BBC

The news comes after public health experts have warned that drinking or accidentally inhaling raw milk containing the bird flu virus may lead to illness.

From Salon

“By repurposing it in vehicles you protect tourism and prevent people from inhaling it. When we scale up to fuel more vehicles it will require a very large volume.”

From BBC

In affected areas, residents urgently need to protect themselves from inhaling wildfire smoke, which is comparable in composition to secondhand smoke without the nicotine.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• puff
• smell
• sniff
• snort
• suck in