Cough represents a disruption of normal breathing patterns and can be conceptualized as a triphasic event (inspiratory phase, compressive phase, and expulsive phase). Cough is commonly classified into acute cough (cough lasting less than 3 weeks), subacute cough (cough lasting between 3 and 8 weeks), and chronic cough (cough lasting more than 8 weeks in adults and more than 4 weeks in children). Totally, 5–10% of the adult population is affected by chronic cough. Severe chronic cough is associated with potential complications such as incontinence, cough syncope, and social isolation. Many terms are loosely used interchangeably to describe chronic cough that is difficult to treat or non-responsive, which may lead to confusion. Some of these terms include refractory chronic cough (RCC), which is a cough that persists despite optimal treatment for the presumed associated condition(s), and unexplained chronic cough (UCC) or idiopathic chronic cough (ICC) when no diagnosable cause for the cough has been found despite extensive assessment for both common and uncommon causes. There are many causes for chronic cough (e.g. upper airway cough syndrome, cough-variant asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-I induced cough) among other causes. Diagnostic evaluation of chronic cough is established by stepwise approach to reach the underlying cause(s) and consequently management.