stifled

[ stahy-fuhld ]

adjective

1. quelled, crushed, or ended by force:

   The activist has been in and out of detention as she continues to call attention to her country's stifled uprising.

2. suppressed, repressed, or inhibited:

   My foot slipped, and with a stifled shriek I found myself grasping desperately for a handhold.

   One version of me grew up as expected, appearing as a confident adult to the outside world; the other remained a stifled, insecure child.

3. deprived of air or of the ability to breathe:

   The light is mixed with the dust floating in the stifled hut, where the air inside never moves.

   When I see that picture of the stifled refugees hidden in the van, I don’t understand the heartlessness that permits such a thing.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of stifle ¹.

Other Words From

• un·sti·fled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of stifled¹

stifle ¹( def ) + -ed ²

Example Sentences

“Commissioner Carr is a warrior for Free Speech, and has fought against the regulatory Lawfare that has stifled Americans’ Freedoms, and held back our Economy,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Sunday.

From Salon

A heavy police response has stifled Halloween celebrations in Shanghai, in what many have viewed as an attempt by authorities to crack down on large public gatherings and freedom of expression.

From BBC

During your trial, when you tried to present information about climate science to the jury, you were stifled.

From Salon

The oppressive noon heat stifled my brain while sweat streamed from my temples.

From Los Angeles Times

New Zealand's batters had earlier struggled against Pakistan's spin attack, who expertly stifled the run-rate in the middle overs but were let down in the field with eight catches put down.

From BBC

Related Words

• delicate
• dim
• distant
• dull
• far-off
• gentle
• hazy
• inaudible
• mild
• muffled
• muted
• remote
• slight
• soft
• soothing
• vague
• weak