: a chronic lung disorder that is marked by recurring episodes of airway obstruction (as from bronchospasm) manifested by labored breathing accompanied especially by wheezing and coughing and by a sense of constriction in the chest, and that is triggered by hyperreactivity to various stimuli (such as allergens or rapid change in air temperature)
Examples of asthma in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
More than 700,000 children in Connecticut are breathing unhealthy levels of air pollution linked to poor health outcomes including asthma and long-term health implications, according to a new annual air quality report from the American Lung Association.
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Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
Video from the Hancock County School District captured the driver, Leah Taylor, passing out during an asthma attack as the bus continued rolling forward.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Peden said that on a large scale, asthma is linked to ozone exposure.
—Eva Flowe
april 28, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
Respiratory Conditions Chronic respiratory conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affect your lungs and airways, causing symptoms like coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.
—Lindsay Curtis, Health, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for asthma
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Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
Video from the Hancock County School District captured the driver, Leah Taylor, passing out during an asthma attack as the bus continued rolling forward.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Peden said that on a large scale, asthma is linked to ozone exposure.
—Eva Flowe
april 28, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
Respiratory Conditions Chronic respiratory conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affect your lungs and airways, causing symptoms like coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.
—Lindsay Curtis, Health, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for asthma
Cite this Entry
“Asthma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asthma. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
asthma
noun
asth·ma
ˈaz-mə 
: a condition that is marked by difficulty in breathing with wheezing, a feeling of tightness in the chest, and coughing
Medical Definition
asthma
noun
asth·ma
ˈaz-mə
: a chronic lung disorder that is marked by recurring episodes of airway obstruction (as from bronchospasm) manifested by labored breathing accompanied especially by wheezing and coughing and by a sense of constriction in the chest, and that is triggered by hyperreactivity to various stimuli (as allergens or rapid change in air temperature)
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