Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense, 3rd person singular presenttense wheezes, present participle wheezing, past tense, past participle wheezed
1. verb
If someone wheezes, they breathe with difficulty and make a whistling sound.
He had quite serious problems with his chest and wheezed and coughed all the time. [VERB]
'Boy,' wheezed old Pop Ryan. [VERB with quote]
Synonyms: gasp, whistle, cough, hiss More Synonyms of wheeze
2. countable noun [usually with supplement, oft adjective NOUN]
A wheeze is a clever idea, joke, or trick.
[informal, old-fashioned]
He came up with what seemed like a clever wheeze.
...the temptation to boost profits through accounting wheezes.
Synonyms: trick, plan, idea, scheme More Synonyms of wheeze
More Synonyms of wheeze
wheeze in British English
(wiːz)
verb
1.
to breathe or utter (something) with a rasping or whistling sound
2. (intransitive)
to make or move with a noise suggestive of wheezy breathing
noun
3.
a husky, rasping, or whistling sound or breathing
4. British slang
a trick, idea, or plan (esp in the phrase good wheeze)
5. informal
a hackneyed joke or anecdote
Derived forms
wheezer (ˈwheezer)
noun
wheezy (ˈwheezy)
adjective
wheezily (ˈwheezily)
adverb
wheeziness (ˈwheeziness)
noun
Word origin
C15: probably from Old Norse hvǣsa to hiss
wheeze in American English
(hwiz; wiz)
verb intransitiveWord forms: wheezed or ˈwheezing
1.
to breathe hard with a whistling, breathy sound, as in asthma
2.
to make a sound like this
the old organ wheezed
verb transitive
3.
to utter with a sound of wheezing
noun
4.
an act or sound of wheezing
5. Slang
an overworked or trite remark, joke, or gag
Derived forms
wheezer (ˈwheezer)
noun
wheezingly (ˈwheezingly)
adverb
Word origin
ME whesen < ON hvæsa, to hiss < IE base *wes-, to wheeze, snort > L queri, to lament
Examples of 'wheeze' in a sentence
wheeze
If you suffer from asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease see your doc if your cough or wheezing is worse than usual.
The Sun (2016)
It must have seemed a good wheeze at the time.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
So the culture department has invented this new wheeze just for us.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Symptoms that persist include chronic coughing and wheezing.
The Sun (2012)
Flats for the middle classes were a new wheeze.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
And so his henchmen have come up with a new wheeze.
The Sun (2008)
But is it one man's good wheeze?
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Little wonder so many have been sneezing, coughing and wheezing.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
But yesterday, it came up with a new wheeze.
The Sun (2014)
She began to cough and wheeze within a few minutes after entering the building, and became unconscious.
Randolph, Theron G. & Moss, Ralph W. (contributor) An Alternative Approach to Allergies (1990)
I was able to breathe freely and sit and talk to people without making wheezing noises.
The Sun (2013)
The days of Cotswold computers whirring and wheezing before coughing up a web page are well and truly over.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
If a person has asthma the body's reaction to this release of chemicals will be coughing and wheezing.
Orton, Christine Eczema Relief - the comprehensive self-help plan (1990)
It sounds a great wheeze.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
It was a brilliant wheeze.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Doesn't this wheeze sound familiar?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Cue coughing, wheezing and breathlessness.
The Sun (2009)
It sounded like a good wheeze: she was given a script to read from and told she could do it from home.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
POLICE paid 840 to an asthmatic employee who suffered coughing and wheezing after inhaling fingerprint dust.
The Sun (2014)
It causes wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing.
The Sun (2013)
Overall, though, a jolly good wheeze.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
It sounds like a good wheeze for the performers: 'Ooh.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
They're certainly a step on from his previous good wheeze, performing shows with a bucket on his head.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
My breathing has gone a bit weird and I've been making this funny wheezing sound.
The Sun (2014)
In other languages
wheeze
British English: wheeze VERB
If someone wheezes, they breathe with difficulty and make a whistling sound.
He had serious problems with his chest and wheezed and coughed all the time.
American English: wheeze
Brazilian Portuguese: respirar ruidosamente
Chinese: 气喘
European Spanish: resollar
French: respirer bruyammentN
German: keuchen
Italian: ansimare
Japanese: ぜいぜいと息をする
Korean: > 숨을 씨근거리다천식 등으로
European Portuguese: respirar ruidosamente
Latin American Spanish: resollar
Chinese translation of 'wheeze'
wheeze
(wiːz)
vi
气(氣)喘 (qìchuǎn)
n(c)
(Brit, o.f., inf, = scheme) 巧妙主意 (qiǎomiào zhǔyi)
(verb)
Definition
to breathe with a rasping or whistling sound
His chest problems made him wheeze constantly.
Synonyms
gasp
He gasped for air before being pulled under again.
whistle
cough
hiss
The air hissed out of the pipe.
rasp
catch your breath
breathe roughly
1 (noun)
Definition
a wheezing breath or sound
She puffed up the stairs, emitting a wheeze at every breath.
Synonyms
gasp
whistle
cough
hiss
rasp
2 (noun)
Definition
a trick or plan
(British, slang)
She came up with a clever wheeze to get round the problem.
Synonyms
trick
That was a really mean trick.
plan
She met her creditors to propose a plan for making repayments.
idea
It's a good idea to keep a stock of tins in the cupboard.
scheme
a quick money-making scheme
stunt
a bold promotional stunt
wrinkle (informal)
ploy
a cynical marketing ploy
expedient
I reduced my spending by the simple expedient of destroying my credit cards.
ruse
This was a ruse to divide them.
3 (noun)
(informal)
Synonyms
joke
No one told worse jokes than Claus.
story
The parents all shared interesting stories about their children.
crack (slang)
He made a nasty crack about her weight.
gag (informal)
He made a gag about bald men.
anecdote
He has a talent for recollection and anecdote.
chestnut (informal)
one-liner (slang)
old joke
Additional synonyms
in the sense of anecdote
Definition
a short amusing account of an incident
He has a talent for recollection and anecdote.
Synonyms
story,
tale,
sketch,
short story,
yarn (informal),
reminiscence,
urban myth,
urban legend
in the sense of crack
Definition
a gibe or joke
He made a nasty crack about her weight.
Synonyms
joke,
dig,
insult,
gag (informal),
quip,
jibe,
wisecrack,
witticism,
funny remark,
smart-alecky remark
in the sense of expedient
Definition
something that achieves a particular purpose
I reduced my spending by the simple expedient of destroying my credit cards.
Synonyms
means,
measure,
scheme,
method,
resource,
resort,
device,
manoeuvre,
expediency,
stratagem,
contrivance,
stopgap,
backstop
Nearby words of
wheeze
whatsit
wheedle
wheel
wheeze
whelp
whereabouts
wherewithal
Synonyms of 'wheeze'
wheeze
Explore 'wheeze' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of gag
Definition
a joke, usually one told by a professional comedian
He made a gag about bald men.
Synonyms
joke,
crack (slang),
funny (informal),
quip,
pun,
jest,
wisecrack (informal),
sally,
witticism
in the sense of hiss
Definition
to express with a hiss
The air hissed out of the pipe.
Synonyms
whistle,
wheeze,
rasp,
whiz,
whirr,
sibilate
in the sense of idea
Definition
a scheme, intention, or plan
It's a good idea to keep a stock of tins in the cupboard.
Synonyms
plan,
scheme,
proposal,
design,
theory,
strategy,
method,
solution,
suggestion,
recommendation,
proposition
in the sense of plan
Definition
a method thought out for doing or achieving something
She met her creditors to propose a plan for making repayments.
Synonyms
scheme,
system,
design,
idea,
programme,
project,
proposal,
strategy,
method,
suggestion,
procedure,
plot,
device,
scenario,
proposition,
contrivance
in the sense of ploy
Definition
a manoeuvre designed to gain an advantage in a situation
a cynical marketing ploy
Synonyms
tactic,
move,
trick,
device,
game,
scheme,
manoeuvre,
dodge,
ruse,
gambit,
subterfuge,
stratagem,
contrivance,
wile
in the sense of ruse
Definition
an action or plan intended to mislead someone
This was a ruse to divide them.
Synonyms
trick,
deception,
ploy,
hoax,
device,
manoeuvre,
dodge,
sham,
artifice,
blind,
subterfuge,
stratagem,
wile,
imposture (formal)
in the sense of scheme
Definition
a secret plot
a quick money-making scheme
Synonyms
plot,
dodge,
ploy,
ruse,
game (informal),
shift,
intrigue,
conspiracy,
manoeuvre,
machinations,
subterfuge,
stratagem
in the sense of story
Definition
a description of a chain of events told or written in prose or verse
The parents all shared interesting stories about their children.
Synonyms
anecdote,
account,
tale,
report,
detail,
relation,
testimony
in the sense of stunt
Definition
anything spectacular or unusual done to gain publicity