1 B1 neutral
To expel something (such as mucus, smoke, or a foreign object) from the throat or lungs by coughing.
"He bent over and coughed out the smoke he had accidentally inhaled."
separable
cough out
B2 neutral separable transitive
To expel something from the throat or lungs by coughing, or to say something with difficulty while coughing.
In plain English
To push something out of your throat by coughing.
What does "cough out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
To manage to say something while coughing, often with great effort.
"Through her fit of coughing, she managed to cough out a few words of thanks."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To use a cough to force something outward — fully transparent.
Actually means
To push something out of your throat by coughing.
Usage tip
Less common than 'cough up'. Used both literally (expelling mucus or an object) and figuratively (managing to say something while coughing). Chiefly descriptive.
Words that pair with "cough out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
blood words smoke phlegm warning name
How to conjugate "cough out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
cough out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
coughs out
he/she/it
Past simple
coughed out
yesterday
Past participle
coughed out
have + pp
-ing form
coughing out
continuous
Hear "cough out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "cough out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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