coughing
coughing — noun
1. the action of pushing air out of your throat with a sudden noisy burst, or the n
the action of pushing air out of your throat with a sudden noisy burst, or the noise that this makes
Anya tried to hide her coughing during the piano concert.
collocation: hide one's coughing
A loud coughing from the back row broke the silence.
a loud coughing as sentence subject
The baby's coughing kept both parents awake until sunrise.
The doctor listened carefully to the sound of Hugo's coughing.
Tomás's coughing grew worse after he walked up the steep hill.
2. a medical condition in which a person coughs many times, often over several days
a medical condition in which a person coughs many times, often over several days or weeks
Karim's coughing lasted for three weeks before he saw a doctor.
lasted for + time period — duration of illness
Half the office caught the same coughing and stayed home.
caught the same coughing — indicates contagion
The doctor said Ayesha's coughing was a mild chest infection.
A persistent coughing troubled Adisa throughout the cold winter months.
The school nurse sent three children home with the same coughing.
- chest cold
a milder, informal term for a coughing illness, usually with congestion
- bronchitis
a specific medical diagnosis involving inflamed airways, more formal
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 1 (ACT OR NOISE): this sense refers to the illness or medical condition itself, not a single instance of coughing.
常見錯誤
coughing — verb
- coughingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- coughings3rd person singular
- coughinging-ing form
- coughingedpast simple
1. to suddenly push a burst of air up from the chest through the throat, making a s
to suddenly push a burst of air up from the chest through the throat, making a short, sharp noise
Bao started coughing when smoke drifted into the kitchen.
started coughing + when-clause
Benjamin was coughing so hard he had to step outside for water.
was coughing so hard — result clause follows
The cold air had Mayumi coughing as soon as she stepped outside.
Noor kept coughing throughout the entire job interview, clearly embarrassed.
Mark stopped coughing after he drank a glass of warm water.
- hack
a harsher, more violent cough, often with phlegm; more informal
- clear one's throat
a deliberate, quiet action to prepare for speech, not an involuntary reflex
文法句型
cough + adverb (loudly, violently)
start/begin + coughing
用法筆記
Typically intransitive. The transitive sense ('cough up blood') belongs to the phrasal verb 'cough up', not to this core verb.
常見錯誤
2. to make a short explosive noise that sounds like a human cough — used of machine
to make a short explosive noise that sounds like a human cough — used of machines, especially engines
The old truck's engine began coughing as it climbed the steep hill.
engine began coughing — machine as subject
Adina's lawnmower was coughing and sputtering before it finally died.
coughing and sputtering — paired verbs for machines
The generator started coughing, so the mechanic added more fuel.
The bus engine kept coughing and stalling at every red light.
The delivery driver noticed his motorbike coughing and pulled over to check it.
文法句型
machine/engine + cough
cough + and + verb (sputter, stall)
用法筆記
Subject is almost always a machine or engine, never a person. For a person imitating a cough sound, use verb sense 1 (FROM THE LUNGS).