Standard Lemma guide

inhalation

noun · 4 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌɪnhəˈleɪʃən/
  • [ˌɪnɦəˈleɪʃn̩]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: IH0 N AH0 L EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: IH2 N HH AH0 L EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of inhaling; inbreathing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The substance (medicament) which is inhaled.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the act of inhaling; the drawing in of air (or other gases) as in breathing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inspiration, aspiration, intake, breathing in

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: breath

Narrower terms: gasp, pant, puff, drag, pull

4

noun

Meaning 4

a medication to be taken by inhaling it

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inhalant

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: medicine, medication, medicament, medicinal drug

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English inhale Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin -ātiōlbor. Old French -ationbor. Middle English -acioun English -ation English inhalation From inhale + -ation.

Across languages

Translations

49 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: شَهِيق (šahīq) — the act of inhaling
  • Assamese: উশাহ লোৱা (uxah lüa) — the act of inhaling
  • Belarusian: удыха́нне (udyxánnje) — the act of inhaling
  • Belarusian: уды́х (udýx) — the act of inhaling
  • Bulgarian: вди́шване (vdíšvane) — the act of inhaling
  • Catalan: inhalació — the act of inhaling
  • Chinese Mandarin: 吸入 (xīrù) — the act of inhaling
  • Dutch: inademing — the act of inhaling
  • Finnish: sisäänhengitys — the act of inhaling
  • French: inhalation — the act of inhaling
  • Galician: inhalación — the act of inhaling
  • German: Inhalieren — the act of inhaling
  • German: Inhalation — the act of inhaling
  • German: Einatmen — the act of inhaling
  • German: Einschnaufen — the act of inhaling
  • German: Einatmung — the act of inhaling
  • Indonesian: inhalasi — the act of inhaling
  • Japanese: 吸入 (kyūnyū) — the act of inhaling
  • Japanese: 吸気 (kyūki) — the act of inhaling
  • Korean: 흡입 (heubip) — the act of inhaling
  • Korean: 흡기 (heupgi) — the act of inhaling
  • Latin: inhalatio — the act of inhaling
  • Norwegian Bokmål: inhalasjon — the act of inhaling
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: inhalasjon — the act of inhaling
  • Polish: wdech — the act of inhaling
  • Polish: inhalacja — the act of inhaling
  • Polish: wdychanie — the act of inhaling
  • Portuguese: inalação — the act of inhaling
  • Romanian: inhalare — the act of inhaling
  • Russian: вдыха́ние (vdyxánije) — the act of inhaling
  • Russian: ингаля́ция (ingaljácija) — the act of inhaling
  • Russian: вдох (vdox) — the act of inhaling
  • Spanish: inhalación — the act of inhaling
  • Swedish: inandning — the act of inhaling
  • Swedish: inhalation — the act of inhaling
  • Tagalog: suludhingahan — the act of inhaling
  • Tagalog: sagap — the act of inhaling
  • Telugu: ఉచ్ఛ్వాసము (ucchvāsamu) — the act of inhaling
  • Turkish: inhalasyon — the act of inhaling
  • Ukrainian: вдиха́ння (vdyxánnja) — the act of inhaling
  • Ukrainian: вдих (vdyx) — the act of inhaling
  • Zazaki: inhalasyon — the act of inhaling
  • Assamese: উশাহ (uxah) — the substance which is inhaled
  • Catalan: inhalació — the substance which is inhaled
  • Finnish: lääkehöyry — the substance which is inhaled
  • Finnish: inhalaatio — the substance which is inhaled
  • German: Inhalation — the substance which is inhaled
  • Romanian: inhalație — the substance which is inhaled
  • Russian: ингаля́ция (ingaljácija) — the substance which is inhaled