Stifle

Quick meaning: Stifle is a verb meaning (transitive, hyperbolic) To cause (someone) difficulty in breathing, or a choking or gagging feeling.

Meaning

(transitive, hyperbolic) To cause (someone) difficulty in breathing, or a choking or gagging feeling.

More Meanings

1. (transitive, also figuratively) To prevent (a breath, cough, or cry, or the voice, etc.) from being released from the throat.
2. (transitive) To make (something) unable to be heard by blocking it with some medium.
3. To keep in, hold back, or repress (something).
4. To prevent (something) from being revealed; to conceal, to hide, to suppress.
5. (transitive, agriculture (sericulture)) To treat (a silkworm cocoon) with steam as part of the process of silk production.
6. (intransitive) To die of suffocation.
7. (transitive, also figuratively) To make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) to die by preventing breathing; to smother, to suffocate.

Example Sentences

The army stifled the rebellion.

The heat was stifling the children.

Atticus tried to stifle a smile but didn’t make it.

I took my leave, being half stifled with the closeness of the room.

Word Forms

• stifles
• stifling
• stifled
• stifil

Synonyms for stifle

Depending on context, synonyms include asphyxiate, burke, scomfish, strangle, suffocate, choke.

Antonyms for stifle

Common opposites include stimulate, excite.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include smother, dampen, muffle, knee, suffocate, strangle.

Related Dictionary Tools