Definition

1. Verb:

   • To breathe with difficulty, producing a hoarse, whistling, or rattling sound from the chest or throat, often due to constricted airways or respiratory illness.
   • To make a sound resembling such labored breathing.

2. Noun:

   • The act or sound of wheezing.
   • (Chiefly British, informal) A clever, amusing, or ingenious scheme, trick, or anecdote.

Usage

• Verb:
  • Use "wheeze" to describe the action of struggling to breathe, typically with an audible sound.
  • It can be used literally for a person or animal, or figuratively for a machine making a similar noise.
• Noun:
  • Use the noun "wheeze" to refer to the sound itself or an instance of such breathing.
  • In British informal contexts, use it to describe a clever idea or joke.

Examples

• Verb:
  • The old man began to wheeze after climbing the stairs.
  • The ancient vacuum cleaner wheezed to a stop.
• Noun:
  • A persistent wheeze was audible from the child's chest.
  • (British) He came up with a brilliant wheeze to get free tickets to the concert.

Advanced Usage

• "to wheeze out": To say something while wheezing or with great effort.
  • He managed to wheeze out a warning before collapsing.

Variants and Related Words

• Wheezy (adj): Characterized by or producing a wheeze.
  • He has a wheezy cough.
• Wheezing (n/adj): The act or condition of breathing with a wheeze.
  • The doctor listened to the patient's wheezing.

Synonyms

• Verb: Gasp, rasp, whistle (in breathing), pant.
• Noun (sound): Whistle, rasp, rattle.
• Noun (scheme): Gimmick, ploy, stratagem, ruse.

Phrasal Verbs

• Wheeze out: To utter or produce something with a wheezing sound.
  • The comedian wheezed out one last joke.

Related Idioms

• To be on one's last wheeze: To be near the end of functionality or life, often said of a person or a machine.
  • That old car is on its last wheeze.

Noun

1. (Briticism) a clever or amusing scheme or trick
   • a clever wheeze probably succeeded in neutralizing the German espionage threat
2. breathing with a husky or whistling sound

Verb

1. breathe with difficulty