Meaning

(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..

Definitions by Sense

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

Example Sentences

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

And while her Hand the ſtreaming Blood oppos'd; / Join'd Face to Face, his Lips with hers ſhe clos'd. / Stifled with Kiſſes, a ſweet Death he dies; / She fills the Fields with undiſtinguiſh'd Cries: [...]

The heat was stifling the children.

The army stifled the rebellion.

I desire only to have things fairly represented as they really are; no evidence smothered or stifled.

Edward Churchill still attended to his work in a hopeless mechanical manner like a sleep-walker who walks safely on a well-known round. But his Roman collar galled him, his cossack stifled him, his biretta was as uncomfortable as a merry-andrew's cap and bells.

In fact, there was no suggestion of that, although Wolves deployed men behind the ball to stifle the league leaders in a first-half that proved very frustrating for City.

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

Word Forms

• stifles
• stifling
• stifled
• stifil

Synonyms for stifle

Antonyms for stifle

Related Words

When Should You Use Stifle?

Use stifle when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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