wheeze
gb/wˈiz/ us/wˈiz/
B2
English
sípolva lélegezik, sípoló légzés, sípolás, trükk, fogás, zihálva mond
VERB
B2
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] wheezes
By the time we reached the top of the hill, he was wheezing.
Mire felértünk a domb tetejére, már sípolva lélegzett.
She started to wheeze after running in cold air.
Miután a hideg levegőn futott, sípolva kezdett lélegezni.
The baby was wheezing, so they took him to urgent care.
Learner examples
I wheeze when I have a cold.
Ha meg vagyok fázva, sípolva lélegzem.
He is wheezing at night.
Éjszaka sípolva lélegzik.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *whistle* for this; *wheeze* is specifically a breathing sound linked to breathing difficulty.
Meaning
breathe with a whistling sound
Collocations
wheeze badly
|wheeze loudly
|begin to wheeze
|start wheezing
|wheeze at night
|wheeze when exercising
|wheeze with asthma
|wheeze with a cold
|make someone wheeze
|wheeze through the night
Synonyms
gasp (Often suggests short breaths from shock or effort, not the whistling sound.)
|
pant (Breathing fast from effort or heat; not necessarily a whistling sound.)
Antonyms
breathe easily (No difficulty or noisy breathing.)
Themes
health
|body
|medicine
Definition
To breathe with a whistling sound because it is difficult to breathe.
To breathe with a high, whistling sound, usually because the airways are partly blocked, for example by asthma or a chest infection.
NOUN
B2
2
sípolás
B1
Usage pattern:
a wheeze; [someone] has a wheeze
The doctor could hear a wheeze in his chest.
Az orvos sípoló légzést hallott a mellkasában.
She had a wheeze and a tight feeling in her throat.
Sípoló légzése volt, és szorítást érzett a torkában.
If the wheeze gets worse, call your GP.
Learner examples
I have a wheeze today.
Ma sípol a légzésem.
The doctor heard a wheeze.
Az orvos sípoló légzést hallott.
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse *a wheeze* (a sound) with *a sneeze* (a sudden nose breath).
Meaning
whistling sound while breathing
Collocations
a slight wheeze
|a loud wheeze
|a persistent wheeze
|a wheeze in the chest
|hear a wheeze
|develop a wheeze
|a wheeze on exhalation
|a wheeze on breathing out
|no wheeze
|wheeze and cough
Synonyms
whistling (General term for a high sound; not necessarily caused by breathing difficulty.)
Antonyms
clear breathing (Breathing without unusual noise.)
Themes
health
|body
|medicine
Definition
A whistling sound when someone breathes with difficulty.
A high, whistling noise made when someone breathes, typically because their breathing passages are narrowed.
NOUN
C1
INFORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
a wheeze; a [good/clever] wheeze
He came up with a wheeze to get free parking all week.
Kitalált egy trükköt, hogy egész héten ingyen parkolhasson.
Their latest publicity wheeze got a lot of attention online.
A legújabb reklámfogásuk nagy figyelmet kapott az interneten.
It sounded like a clever wheeze at first, but it didn’t actually work.
Learner examples
She had a clever wheeze.
Volt egy ügyes trükkje.
That was a good wheeze.
Az jó trükk volt.
Common mistake:
This meaning is mainly UK usage; in many contexts, *scheme/idea* is more widely understood.
Meaning
clever or amusing scheme
Collocations
a clever wheeze
|a good wheeze
|a brilliant wheeze
|a marketing wheeze
|a money-making wheeze
|dream up a wheeze
|think up a wheeze
|come up with a wheeze
|a publicity wheeze
|some wheeze to get out of work
Synonyms
scheme (More neutral and general; can sound more serious.)
|
idea (More general; doesn’t suggest a trick or gimmick.)
|
gimmick (Often suggests a marketing trick; less about cleverness.)
Antonyms
straightforward plan (Emphasizes simplicity rather than cleverness or trickery.)
Themes
daily_life
|communication
|humor
Definition
A clever idea or plan, often a funny one.
(Informal, especially British) A clever, often amusing idea or plan, sometimes a slightly dishonest trick.
VERB
C1
4
zihálva mond
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] wheezes [words/phrase]
‘I’m fine,’ he wheezed, but he didn’t sound convincing.
– Jól vagyok – zihálta, de nem hangzott meggyőzően.
She wheezed an apology between breaths.
Két levegővétel között zihálva kért bocsánatot.
He wheezed out his name and then fell silent.
Learner examples
He wheezed, “Help me.”
– Segíts! – zihálta.
Common mistake:
This use is less common than the breathing meaning; it usually appears with quoted speech or a short phrase.
Meaning
speak in a weak, breathy voice
Collocations
wheeze an apology
|wheeze a laugh
|wheeze out a reply
|wheeze the words
|wheeze faintly
|wheeze softly
|wheeze a greeting
|wheeze his name
Synonyms
croak (Suggests a rough, low voice, often from illness.)
|
rasp (Focuses on harshness rather than breathlessness.)
Antonyms
say clearly (Speaking strongly and without strain.)
Themes
communication
|health
Definition
To speak with a weak, breathy sound.
To say something in a hoarse, breathy way, as if short of breath.
Grammar
Dictionary form
wheeze
IPA
GB/wˈiz/
US/wˈiz/
Syllables & stress
wheeze (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (wheeze)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: wheeze
- Plural: wheezes
Verb
- Base: wheeze
- 3rd Person Singular: wheezes
- Present Participle: wheezing
- Past: wheezed
Expressions
an old wheeze
1/ən ˈoʊld wˈiz/
fixed phrase
informal
old joke or familiar trick
A joke or trick that is not new.
Examples
- He tried that old wheeze again, pretending he’d forgotten his wallet.
- It’s an old wheeze, but it still makes people laugh.
- The email scam is just an old wheeze in a new form.
Learner examples
- That’s an old wheeze.
wheeze out
1/wˈiz ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
say with difficulty and breathlessness
To say words with difficulty while breathing badly.
Examples
- He wheezed out a few words and pointed at the door.
- She wheezed out an answer before coughing again.
- ‘Please,’ he wheezed out, struggling to breathe.
Learner examples
- He wheezed out, “Wait.”