# coughing

/ˈkɑfɪŋ/ (US) · /kˈɒfɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/coughing
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. the act of clearing the throat

noun · CEFR A2

the sound or action you make when you force air out of your lungs, often because of a cold.

For teachers: the act or sound of expelling air from the lungs suddenly and noisily. Countable in the sense of a single instance or a period of illness.

- The loud coughing from the back of the room made it hard to hear the speaker.
- Persistent coughing during the winter months often indicates a viral infection rather than a simple irritation of the throat.

### 3. animal sound

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a sound made by a bird or animal that sounds like a human cough.

For teachers: a repetitive vocalisation produced by certain animals or birds that acoustically resembles a human cough.

- The zookeeper explained that the leopard's coughing was actually a way to mark its territory.
- Ornithologists noted that the specific coughing of the lyrebird was a perfect mimicry of the local hikers.

## Examples

- The loud coughing woke everyone up.
- Her persistent coughing during the meeting made it hard for others to hear the presentation.
- The doctor listened carefully to the patient's dry, hacking coughing, noting the absence of phlegm which suggested a viral rather than bacterial cause.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.