noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈasmə/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈasθmə/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈaθsmə/
General-American:/ˈæzmə/
General-American:/ˈæzðmə/
General-American:/ˈæðzmə/
dialectal:/ˈæst.mə/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with (General American) -æzmə
CMU ARPABET:AE1 Z M AH0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A long-term respiratory condition, in which the airways may unexpectedly and suddenly narrow, often in response to an allergen, cold air, exercise, or emotional stress. Symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Topics: medicine, pathology, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
respiratory disorder characterized by wheezing; usually of allergic origin
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
From Middle English asma, asme, from Medieval Latin asthma, asma, from Ancient Greek ἆσθμα (âsthma, “laborious breathing, asthma”). The spelling was changed to add -th- in the 16th century to match the Greek etymological roots.
Across languages
Translations
104 source translations are retained for this English entry.
