Phrase guide

clear one's throat

verb · 1 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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1

verb

Meaning 1

To forcibly, sometimes mutedly, expel air from one's lungs, sometimes to clear mucus, sometimes to attract attention to something; less vigorously than to cough.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

38 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: تَنَحْنَحَ (tanaḥnaḥa) — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Chinese Mandarin: 清嗓子 (qīng sǎngzi) — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Czech: odkašlat si — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Czech: odkašlávat si — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Danish: rømme — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Dutch: zijn keel schrapen — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Finnish: rykiä — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Finnish: kakoa — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Finnish: kakistella — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • French: se racler la gorge — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • German: sich räuspern — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Hungarian: köszörüli a torkát — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Hungarian: megköszörüli a torkát — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Icelandic: ræskja sig — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Indonesian: mendeham — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Irish: do scornach a réiteach — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Italian: schiarirsi la gola — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Latin: screō — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Latin: cōnscreor — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Māori: wharo — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Māori: whawharo — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Māori: wharowharo — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Norman: râqu'ter — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Norwegian: kremte — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Norwegian: rømme — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Plautdietsch: kjrechen — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Polish: odchrząknąć — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Polish: odchrząkiwać — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Russian: прочищать горло (pročiščatʹ gorlo) — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Slovak: odkašlať si — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Spanish: carraspear — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Spanish: aclararse la voz — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Spanish: destoserse — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Swedish: harkla — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Vietnamese: tằng hắng — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Vietnamese: đằng hắng — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Vietnamese: dặng hắng — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs
  • Vietnamese: hắng giọng — to forcibly expulse air from one's lungs