verb
stifle
To suppress breathing or airflow.
The thick smoke stifles us as we search for an exit.
Etymology
The older verb concerns suffocating or suppressing breath. It preserves that blockage of breathing or airflow; its more remote derivation is uncertain.
More examples
- I feel stifled in this hot, airless room.
- She opens a window before the heat can stifle her.
- The heavy blanket was stifling him, so he pushed it away.
Forms
stifle · stifles · stifled · stifling
Similar words
- suffocate
- More strongly suggests complete loss of air, sometimes causing death.
- smother
- Often involves covering someone or something and cutting off air.