stifle
To make unconscious or cause to die by preventing breathingTo make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) to die by preventing breathing; to smother, to suffocate.
» Tom stifled a sneeze.
Том стримав пчих.
Meaning
10 senses(also, figuratively, transitive)To make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) to die by preventing breathing; to smother, to suffocate.
erdrücken, ersticken
души́тьdušítʹ, задуши́тьzadušítʹ
(excessive, transitive)To cause (someone) difficulty in breathing, or a choking or gagging feeling.
The heat was stifling the children.
(also, figuratively, transitive)To prevent (a breath, cough, or cry, or the voice, etc.) from being released from the throat.
unterdrücken
(transitive)To make (something) unable to be heard by blocking it with some medium.
(figuratively, transitive)To keep in, hold back, or repress (something).
The army stifled the rebellion.
unterdrücken
подавля́тьpodavljátʹ, подави́тьpodavítʹ
(figuratively, transitive)To prevent (something) from being revealed; to conceal, to hide, to suppress.
suppress in order to conceal or hide
(transitive)To treat (a silkworm cocoon) with steam as part of the process of silk production.
(intransitive)To die of suffocation.
Two firemen tragically stifled in yesterday’s fire when trying to rescue an old lady from her bedroom.
ersticken
задыха́тьсяzadyxátʹsja, задохну́тьсяzadoxnútʹsja
be asphyxiated; die from lack of oxygen
(excessive, intransitive)To smother; to make breathing difficult.
This heat is stifling.
(transitive)To cause (a dog, horse, or other four-legged mammal) to dislocate or sprain its stifle joint.
Examples
40 sentencesTom stifled a sneeze.
Том стримав пчих.
Tom stifled a scream.
ruТом подавил крик.
Tom stifled a laugh.
ruТом подавил смех.
Tom stifled a groan.
ruТом подавил стон.
Tom stifled a grin.
ruТом сдержал усмешку.
Translations
7 languagesBy meaning 3
By meaning 2
Origin
The verb is derived from Late Middle English stuflen (“to have difficulty breathing due toThe verb is derived from Late Middle English stuflen (“to have difficulty breathing due to heat, stifle; to suffocate by drowning, drown”) [and other forms]; further etymology uncertain. Also found in Middle English forstyflyd (“stifled, choked”, past participle).
The noun is derived from Middle English stifle (“joint between the femur and tibia of a quadruped”) [and other forms]; further etymology uncertain, probably derived from Anglo-Norman estive (“leg”), and Old French estive (“leg”) (compare Old French estival (“boot, shoe”)).
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
stifles, stifling, stifled, stifledSynonyms
67 synonyms- suppress or constrain so as to lessen in intensity:dampen
- be asphyxiated; die from lack of oxygen:suffocateasphyxiate
- impair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of:suffocateasphyxiatechoke
- suppress in order to conceal or hide:smotherstranglemufflerepress
Antonyms
1 antonymsWord family
6 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle