suffocate

American

[suhf-uh-keyt] / ˈsʌf əˌkeɪt /

verb (used with object)

suffocated, suffocating

to kill by preventing the access of air to the blood through the lungs or analogous organs, as gills; strangle.
to impede the respiration of.
to discomfort by a lack of fresh or cool air.
to overcome or extinguish; suppress.

verb (used without object)

suffocated, suffocating

to become suffocated; stifle; smother.
to be uncomfortable due to a lack of fresh or cool air.

suffocate British

/ ˈsʌfəˌkeɪt /

verb

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

suffocating adjective
suffocatingly adverb
suffocation noun
suffocative adjective
unsuffocated adjective
unsuffocative adjective

Etymology

Origin of suffocate

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin suffōcātus (past participle of suffōcāre “to choke, stifle”), equivalent to suf- suf- + -fōc- (combining form of fauc-, stem of faucēs “throat”) + -ātus -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I know this isn’t his scene either, which makes the suffocating blanket of guilt I’m carrying around my shoulders feel even heavier.

From Literature

The words were swallowed by the suffocating spray of a skunk, which sent more than a few animals cowering and crying in every direction.

From Literature

“Take advantage of the time you have ahead of you to understand risk better. Don’t suffocate your portfolio” by allocating too much for income-based investments.

From MarketWatch

"It gets to a point where you're being suffocated and you need to breathe, and I feel this is my way of trying to breathe," Harrison said.

From BBC

These attacks present a new reality for energy markets, already suffocating under the paralysis of the Strait of Hormuz.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023