ENGLISH
REFERENCE

inhaling

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˌɪnˈheɪɫɪŋ// UK //ɪnhˈeɪlɪŋ// in·hal·ing

v. to breathe in air, smoke, or gas into your lungs. You can also use it to describe eating something very quickly.

v. the present participle of 'inhale'; refers to the act of drawing air or other substances into the lungs through the respiratory tract. Often used figuratively to describe the rapid consumption of food.


SIMPLE

He is inhaling the fresh mountain air.

CONTEXTUAL

The doctor advised the patient to avoid inhaling toxic fumes while working in the garage.

COMPLEX

The athlete stood at the starting line, slowly inhaling the crisp morning air to calm his nerves before the final sprint of the championship.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

The verb is transitive when referring to specific substances and intransitive when referring to the general act of breathing.

Pitfall

He was inhaling of the smokeHe was inhaling the smokeInhale is a transitive verb and does not require the preposition 'of' before the object.

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