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to inhale

to inhale

84 2.7
To breathe in air, smoke, or gas into your lungs
  • verb
  • /ɪnˈheɪl/
translation icon : inhalar
  • During the yoga class, the instructor encouraged everyone to inhale slowly and mindfully.
  • inhale smoke
  • smokers inhale
  • people inhale

And Valve says you should stop inhaling the Steam Deck fumes.

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Examples

  • Before diving underwater, take a moment to inhale deeply and prepare yourself.

  • The other day, I saw you light a match and inhale the sulfur.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Just inhale that, then let's try that again.

  • All right, put a little pressure back and I want you to inhale.

  • How long do you inhale and then hold, exhale and then hold?

  • Ask the students to inhale through the nose as if smelling a rose.

    Academic text (1993)
  • When you smoke a cigarette, you inhale a drug called nicotine.

  • A similar sensation is achieved by asking students to inhale slowly as if sucking through a straw.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Freddy opens his mouth, lets out a large breath, and then inhales an even larger one.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • A smoker is not the only person who inhales more than 3,800 compounds in cigarette smoke.

    Academic text (1992)

Synonyms

to breathe in
vsto inhale
54 1.0

To take air into your lungs through your nose or mouth

is the single formal verb used for the same action
to inspire
vsto inhale
  • Specialized
15 7.2

Breathe air into the lungs

is the common general term not limited to clinical contexts
to drag
vsto inhale
12 8.1

To breathe in air or smoke strongly

is a milder general action without force or smoking association
2 6.2

To take air into your lungs quickly when you feel surprised, afraid, or before hard work

is the general act of drawing air into the lungs without sudden reaction

Antonyms

62 2.6

To breathe out air or smoke from your lungs

How Deep

to inhale
84 2.7
gasp
312 1.8

Surface Forms

inhale infinitive
inhale past
inhaled past participle
inhaling present participle
inhales third person singular

Morphology

inhale = hale (opaque) = in + hale

The word 'inhale' is derived from 'in' + 'hale', but the modern meaning of 'inhale' as 'to breathe in' is not directly derivable from the meaning of 'hale'.

Etymology

Inhale comes from the parts in- 'into' and -hale from a Latin word meaning 'to breathe'. So to inhale is to 'breathe in' something — imagine pulling air into your lungs, the opposite of exhale.