Suffocate (Verb)
Meaning 1
Struggle for breath; have insufficient oxygen intake; "he swallowed a fishbone and gagged".
Classification
Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
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Meaning 2
Be asphyxiated; die from lack of oxygen; "The child suffocated under the pillow".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Synonyms
Hypernyms
- Pop Off
- Croak
- Pass
- Expire
- Decease
- Cash In One's Chips
- Perish
- Conk
- Choke
- Buy The Farm
- Exit
- Drop Dead
- Pass Away
- Go
- Give-up The Ghost
- Kick The Bucket
- Snuff It
Related Words
Meaning 3
Feel uncomfortable for lack of fresh air; "The room was hot and stuffy and we were suffocating".
Classification
Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care.
Examples
- The room was hot and stuffy and we were suffocating, desperate for a window to be opened.
- During the summer months, I would often suffocate in the poorly ventilated attic where I worked.
- She felt as though she would suffocate in the crowded subway car during rush hour.
- The air conditioning broke down and the passengers began to suffocate in the sweltering heat.
- Working from a small, enclosed space made him feel like he was suffocating due to the lack of airflow.
Related Words
Meaning 4
Impair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of; "The foul air was slowly suffocating the children".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 5
Become stultified, suppressed, or stifled; "He is suffocating--living at home with his aged parents in the small village".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 6
Suppress the development, creativity, or imagination of; "His job suffocated him".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 7
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".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.