to kill or be killed by the deprivation of oxygen, as by obstruction of the air passage or inhalation of noxious gases to block the air passages or have the air passages blocked to feel or cause to feel discomfort from heat and lack of air
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
suf•fo•cate /ˈsʌfəˌkeɪt/USA pronunciation
v., -cat•ed, -cat•ing.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- Pathology to kill by preventing the passage of air; strangle:[~ + object]The plastic bag must have suffocated the baby.
- Pathology to die in this manner;
stifle;
smother:[no object]The baby must have suffocated when the plastic bag went over its head. - to (cause to) be uncomfortable because of a lack of fresh air: [~ + object]This hot classroom is suffocating the students.[no object]We're all suffocating in this hot room.
- to hold back, stifle, or suppress (freedom, creativity, etc.): [no object]The students are suffocating from the rigid discipline.[~ + object]The rigid discipline is suffocating the children's creativity and freedom.
suf•fo•cate
(suf′ə kāt′),USA pronunciation v., -cat•ed, -cat•ing.
v.t.
v.i.
suf′fo•cat′ing•ly, adv.
suf′fo•ca′tion, n.
suf′fo•ca′tive, adj.
v.t.
- Pathologyto kill by preventing the access of air to the blood through the lungs or analogous organs, as gills;
strangle. - Pathologyto impede the respiration of.
- to discomfort by a lack of fresh or cool air.
- to overcome or extinguish;
suppress.
v.i.
- Pathologyto become suffocated;
stifle;
smother. - to be uncomfortable due to a lack of fresh or cool air.
- Latin suffōcātus (past participle of suffōcāre to choke, stifle), equivalent. to suf- suf- + -fōc- (combining form of fauc-, stem of faucēs throat) + -ātus -ate1
- 1520–30
suf′fo•ca′tion, n.
suf′fo•ca′tive, adj.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
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