adj
Uncommon
nasal
NAY-zuhl
Nasal (adj) means relating to the nose. Example: “The doctor prescribed a nasal spray for her blocked sinuses.”
adj
1
Relating to the nose.
"The doctor prescribed a nasal spray for her blocked sinuses."
"He suffered a nasal injury after being hit by the ball."
2
Describing a sound made by letting air pass through the nose, as with the consonants "m," "n," and "ng."
"French has several nasal vowels that don't exist in English."
"The letter 'n' represents a nasal sound in most languages."
3
Of a voice: sounding as if it comes through the nose, often thought of as whiny or twangy.
"His nasal voice made him easy to pick out on the recording."
How to use nasal
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo do with the nose — whether it's a body part, a spray, or the sound of a voice that seems to come through the nostrils.
Common pairings
nasal spray
nasal passage
nasal voice
nasal congestion
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like nasal.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Comparative
- more nasal
- Superlative
- most nasal
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The doctor prescribed a _____ spray for her blocked sinuses.
Etymology
From Medieval Latin nasalis, built from nasus, "nose," plus the adjective ending "-alis."
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for nasal
See all rhymes for nasal →Frequently asked questions
What does “nasal” mean?
The word “nasal” means relating to the nose. In plain terms, to do with the nose — whether it's a body part, a spray, or the sound of a voice that seems to come through the nostrils.
How do you pronounce “nasal”?
“Nasal” is pronounced NAY-zuhl (/ˈneɪ.zəl/ in IPA).
How do you use “nasal” in a sentence?
Here is “nasal” used in a sentence: “The doctor prescribed a nasal spray for her blocked sinuses.”
What part of speech is “nasal”?
“Nasal” is an adjective.
Where does the word “nasal” come from?
The word “nasal” comes from Medieval Latin. From Medieval Latin nasalis, built from nasus, "nose," plus the adjective ending "-alis.".
Is “nasal” a common word?
“Nasal” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “nasal” have?
“Nasal” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: relating to the nose.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include nasal:
