What does inhale mean?
Inhale means to breathe in, bringing air or another substance into the lungs. Its literal use is especially common in descriptions of breathing, exercise, relaxation, and physical sensations: a person may inhale deeply, slowly, or sharply. The verb is also used when someone draws smoke, fumes, dust, or chemical vapors into their body, often in warnings about health risks or environmental hazards. In extended usage, inhale can mean to absorb or take in something eagerly, as in “inhaling the mountain air.” The word is related to exhale, which means to breathe out, and both are common in medical, sporting, and environmental contexts. Inhale is most often transitive, but it can also occur without an object when the action of breathing in is emphasized.
verbTo breathe air or another substance into the lungs. It can also mean to take in a gas, vapor, or fine particles by breathing them in.
- To breathe air into the lungs.
- To draw in a gas, vapor, dust, or other substance through the lungs.
- To take in or absorb a substance or idea.
"She paused to inhale the cool morning air before continuing along the path."
"The runner tried to inhale slowly and steadily during the race."
"Workers were warned not to inhale chemical fumes from the damaged container."
The word inhale contains a hidden musical instruction: 'in'hale, as though taking a breath were a performance.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does inhale come from?
The word comes from Latin inhalare, formed from in- meaning “in” or “into” and halare, meaning “to breathe.” English borrowed and adapted the Latin verb in the early 17th century. The root also appears in related English words such as exhale, hale, and halation.
Related word forms
How inhale is actually used
In its literal sense, inhale describes drawing air into the lungs. It is also commonly used for smoke, fumes, dust, and other airborne substances, with a potentially harmful connotation in health or safety contexts.
Easily confused with inhale
Inhaling brings air or another substance into the lungs, whereas exhaling pushes air out of the lungs.