Inhale means to take air or gas into your lungs through your nose or mouth. We do this when we breathe. It is a normal action for all people.
Please inhale deeply and hold your breath.
She inhaled the fresh air outside.
This use of inhale means to breathe in smoke, vapor, or medicine that is in the air. People might inhale smoke from cigarettes or vapors from a medication.
He inhaled the cigarette smoke quickly.
They inhaled the medicine through the mask.
Inhale can also mean to take something into the body or mind quickly and completely, like eating food fast or reading quickly. This is a figurative use.
She inhaled her food very fast today.
He inhaled the entire book in one night.
In technical contexts, inhale means to pull air or gas inside a machine or device. This helps the machine work by moving air inside its parts.
The machine inhales air to start the engine.
The vacuum cleaner inhales dust from the floor.
Inhale as a noun means the action of taking air or gas into the lungs. It is the opposite of an exhale (breathing out).
Take a deep inhale before you start.
Her inhale was slow and steady.
In casual or humorous speech, inhale can mean to eat or drink something very fast, as if sucking it completely inside at once.
He inhaled his drink in just a few seconds.
The child inhaled the candy happily.
