cough
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.the sudden, loud noise you make when air is forced out of your throat.
n.a sudden, involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, typically resulting from irritation of the respiratory tract.
Simple“He gave a loud cough to get the teacher's attention in the quiet library.”
In context“The patient's persistent, dry cough suggested an underlying allergic reaction rather than a typical viral infection.”
Synonyms - 02 A2 Elementary
n.a medical condition or sickness that makes you cough often.
n.a clinical condition or symptom characterized by frequent bouts of coughing.
Simple“I have a nasty cough, so I am staying home from work today.”
In context“The doctor prescribed a soothing syrup to manage the child's nighttime cough and allow for better rest.”
- 03 A2 Elementary
v.to force air out of your lungs with a short, sharp sound.
v.to expel air from the lungs suddenly with a sharp, explosive noise.
Simple“The smoke from the campfire made everyone cough and move away.”
In context“She tried to stifle her need to cough during the quietest movement of the symphony, but the irritation was too great.”
Synonymshackclear one's throat - 04 C1 Advanced
v.to tell the truth or give information, especially when you do not want to.
v.to confess or surrender information under pressure; often used in criminal contexts.
Simple“After an hour of questioning, the suspect finally started to cough.”
In context“The detective was confident that the accomplice would eventually cough and reveal the location of the stolen goods.”
UsageOften used as 'cough it up' when referring to information.
Synonyms - 05 C1 Advanced
v.to give or pay money, usually when you are forced to or do not want to.
v.to surrender money or property, typically with reluctance or under duress.
Simple“You owe me twenty dollars, so it is time to cough up.”
In context“The insurance company was slow to cough up the settlement funds despite the clear evidence of the claimant's loss.”
UsageAlmost always used with the particle 'up'.
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
interj.a sound you make to show you think someone is lying or to get attention.
interj.a vocalization used to represent a cough, employed pragmatically to signal irony, skepticism, or to attract attention.
Simple“He said he was working late—cough—but I saw him at the cinema.”
In context“The speaker paused and gave a pointed—cough—to indicate that the previous statement was a significant understatement of the facts.”
Synonyms
From Middle English coughen, coghen (“to cough; to vomit”) [and other forms], from Old English cohhian (compare Old English cohhetan (“to bluster; to riot; to cough (?)”)), from Proto-West Germanic kuh- (“to cough”), ultimately of onomatopoeic origin. Cognates * Middle Dutch cuchen (“to cough”) (modern Dutch kuchen (“to cough”); German Low German kuchen (“to cough”)) * Middle High German kûchen (“to breathe (on); to exhale”), kîchen (“to breathe with difficulty”) (modern German keichen, keuchen (“to breathe with difficulty; to gasp, pant”)) * Spanish cof (“coughing sound”) * West Frisian kiche (“to cough”), kochelje (“to cough persistently”)
The noun is derived from Middle English cough (“a cough; illness causing coughing”) [and other forms], from coughen (verb): see etymology 1. The interjection is probably derived from the noun.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.