sneeze Hear it!

sneeze Definition

sneeze (snēz)

intransitive verb sneezed, sneez′·ing

to exhale breath from the nose and mouth in a sudden, involuntary, explosive action, as a result of an irritation of the nasal mucous membrane

Etymology: ME snesen, prob. echoic alteration of fnesen < OE fneosan: for IE base see pneuma

noun

an act of sneezing

sneeze Related Forms
sneez′er noun sneez′y adjective
sneeze Idioms

not to be sneezed at

not to be considered lightly or disregarded

sneeze Synonyms

sneeze

n.

wheezing, suspiration, sniffle; see cold 3, fit 1.

sneeze Usage Examples

Object

  • cough: Women Do you ever pass urine when you sneeze, cough or laugh?
  • nose: Symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, watery and itchy eyes, and are often worse when the pollen count is high.
  • fit: The final symptom was a sneezing fit that was promptly followed by death.
  • eye: These include a runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes and general lethargy.
  • time: McQueen sneezed four times, then shut his eyes.
  • attack: A good example is the lady who developed rhinitis with very severe sneezing attacks.

Converse of object

  • stifle: Apparently it is very difficult to stifle a sneeze, even if you are a swan!
  • hear: Say " bless you " when you hear someone sneeze.

Preposition: over

  • food: Do not smoke, eat or drink in a food room, and never cough or sneeze over food.

Adjective modifier

  • first: Whether you swear by natural medicine or race down to the chemist at the first sneeze we want to hear from you.

Modifying Another Word

  • just: I'm supposed to be packing [ nb i just sneezed all over the keyboard, beautiful!
  • n't: Badger's entry: I am so happy, I do n't sneeze anymore and I have grown really big.
  • again: One of my cats has just started the sneezing again but shows no signs of illness.
  • violently: Every morning on the threshold of sleep and wake, she sneezes violently.
  • even: Farting causes offense almost everywhere but even sneezing loudly in public can be offensive.
  • then: She drew a shuddering breath through her nose then sneezed.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • out: Most colds are caught by breathing in droplets that contain the virus which have been breathed or sneezed out by someone with a cold.

Used with why or when

  • when: It has also a sharp burning taste and causes violent sneezing when inhaled ( Blakely 1923, Hurst 1942 ).

Preposition: in

  • subway: Like a sneeze in a crowded subway, it's hard to find the human source of the latest viral infection.

Noun used with modifier

  • someone: The usual way we catch the virus is to breathe them in on droplets in the air when someone sneezes.
sneeze Quotes

I like to write when I feel spiteful; it's like having a good sneeze.

—Lawrence, D(avid) H(erbert)