verb
inhale
ihn-HAYL
verb
1
To breathe air or another substance into the lungs.
"Inhale slowly through your nose, then exhale."
"She inhaled the scent of fresh bread as she walked in."
2
(informal) To eat something very quickly.
"He inhaled his lunch in about two minutes flat."
How to Use Inhale
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo breathe in — or, casually, to eat something really fast.
When to use it
The "eat quickly" sense is informal and often used humorously.
Common pairings
inhale deeply
inhale sharply
Word Forms
inhaled past tense, inhales plural, inhales singular
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_____ slowly through your nose, then exhale.
Etymology
From Latin inhalare, "to breathe on," from "in-" + halare ("to breathe").