Definition of suffocate Suffocate

/sʌˈfʌkejˌt/ - [sufukeyt] - suf•fo•cate

We found 17 definitions of suffocate from 5 different sources.

What does suffocate mean?

WordNet

Verb suffocates, suffocating, suffocated
suffocate - be asphyxiated; die from lack of oxygen; "The child suffocated under the pillow"
		stifle, asphyxiate
		buy the farm, perish, kick the bucket, give-up the ghost, snuff it, drop dead, decease, cash in one's chips, pop off, pass away, expire, exit, croak, conk, die, choke, pass, go leave quickly
		strangle die from strangulation
suffocate - impair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of; "The foul air was slowly suffocating the children"
		stifle, asphyxiate, choke
		obturate, occlude, impede, obstruct, close up, jam, block be a hindrance or obstacle to; "She is impeding the progress of our project"
suffocate - feel uncomfortable for lack of fresh air; "The room was hot and stuffy and we were suffocating"
		feel be conscious of a physical, mental, or emotional state; "My cold is gone--I feel fine today"; "She felt tired after the long hike"; "She felt sad after her loss"
suffocate - suppress the development, creativity, or imagination of; "His job suffocated him"
		choke
		stifle, dampen smother or suppress; "Stifle your curiosity"
		suffocate, choke feel uncomfortable for lack of fresh air; "The room was hot and stuffy and we were suffocating"
suffocate - become stultified, suppressed, or stifled; "He is suffocating--living at home with his aged parents in the small village"
		choke
		suffocate, choke feel uncomfortable for lack of fresh air; "The room was hot and stuffy and we were suffocating"
		become, turn enter or assume a certain state or condition; "He became annoyed when he heard the bad news"; "It must be getting more serious"; "her face went red with anger"; "She went into ecstasy"; "Get going!"
suffocate - deprive of oxygen and prevent from breathing; "Othello smothered Desdemona with a pillow"; "The child suffocated herself with a plastic bag that the parents had left on the floor"
		smother, asphyxiate
		kill destroy a vitally essential quality of or in; "Eating artichokes kills the taste of all other foods"
suffocate - struggle for breath; have insufficient oxygen intake; "he swallowed a fishbone and gagged"
		gag, choke, strangle
		hurt, suffer give trouble or pain to; "This exercise will hurt your back"

= synonym
= antonym
= related word

Wiktionary

suffocate (Verb)
To suffer, or cause someone to suffer, from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body.
suffocate (Verb)
To die due to, or kill someone by means of, insufficient oxygen supply to the body.
suffocate (Verb)
To overwhelm, or be overwhelmed by a person or issue, as though with oxygen deprivation.
suffocate (Verb)
To destroy; to extinguish.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

suffocate (a.)
Suffocated; choked.
suffocate (v. t.)
To choke or kill by stopping respiration; to stifle; to smother.
suffocate (v. t.)
To destroy; to extinguish; as, to suffocate fire.
suffocate (v. i.)
To become choked, stifled, or smothered.

Chambers DictionaryChamber's 20th Century Dictionary 📕

suffocate
suf′ō-kāt, v.t. to choke by stopping the breath: to stifle:—pa.p. suff′ocāted.—p.adj. (Shak.) suffocated.—p.adj. Suff′ocāting, choking.—adv. Suff′ocātingly.—n. Suffocā′tion, act of suffocating: state of being suffocated.—adj. Suff′ocātive, tending to suffocate. [L. suffocāre, -ātum—sub, under, fauces, the throat.]