wheeze

[ weez, hweez ]

verb (used without object)

, wheezed, wheez·ing.

1. to breathe with difficulty and with a whistling sound:

   Asthma caused him to wheeze.

2. to make a sound resembling difficult breathing:

   The old locomotive wheezed into the station.

noun

1. a wheezing breath or sound.
2. an old and frequently used joke, saying, story, etc.

wheeze

/ wiːz /

verb

1. to breathe or utter (something) with a rasping or whistling sound
2. intr to make or move with a noise suggestive of wheezy breathing

noun

1. a husky, rasping, or whistling sound or breathing
2. slang.
   a trick, idea, or plan (esp in the phrase good wheeze )
3. informal.
   a hackneyed joke or anecdote

Derived Forms

• ˈwheezer, noun
• ˈwheeziness, noun
• ˈwheezy, adjective
• ˈwheezily, adverb

Other Words From

• wheez·er noun
• wheez·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of wheeze¹

1425–75; late Middle English whese (v.), probably < Old Norse hvæsa to hiss

Word History and Origins

Origin of wheeze¹

C15: probably from Old Norse hvǣsa to hiss

Example Sentences

Some 41 percent of allergy-free and wheeze-free children had grown up in such allergen and bacteria-rich homes.

From The Daily Beast

Many sniffle and wheeze antidotes are in the list of the 100 most frequently prescribed medications in 2013.

From The Daily Beast

She was so weak in the chest you could hear her wheeze as far as you could see her.

From Project Gutenberg

Landry disappeared behind the curtains and in a moment Fred heard the wheeze of an atomizer.

From Project Gutenberg

There is every variety of this music, from the low wheeze of the asthmatic, to the stentorian grunt of the corpulent and profound.

From Project Gutenberg

I jumped him three times before I could get a fair shot at him, and could hear him wheeze every time I came near him.

From Project Gutenberg

I plainly heard the wheeze of blood in its throat, and the sound, like a death-rattle, affected me powerfully.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cough
• gasp
• hiss
• puff
• snore