stifle

1
[ stahy-fuhl ]
See synonyms for: stiflestifledstifling on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),sti·fled, sti·fling.
  1. to quell, crush, or end by force: to stifle a revolt;to stifle free expression.

  2. to suppress, curb, or withhold: to stifle a yawn.

  1. to kill by impeding respiration; smother.

verb (used without object),sti·fled, sti·fling.
  1. to suffer from difficulty in breathing, as in a close atmosphere.

  2. to become stifled or suffocated.

Origin of stifle

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English from Old Norse stīfla “to stop up, dam,” akin to stīfr “stiff”

Other words for stifle

Opposites for stifle

Other words from stifle

  • sti·fler, noun

Words Nearby stifle

Other definitions for stifle (2 of 2)

stifle2
[ stahy-fuhl ]

noun
  1. (in a horse or other quadruped) the joint between the femur and the tibia, corresponding anatomically to the human knee.

Origin of stifle

2
1275–1325; Middle English < ?
  • Also called stifle joint .

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use stifle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for stifle (1 of 2)

stifle1

/ (ˈstaɪfəl) /


verb
  1. (tr) to smother or suppress: stifle a cough

  2. to feel or cause to feel discomfort and difficulty in breathing

  1. to prevent or be prevented from breathing so as to cause death

  2. (tr) to crush or stamp out

Origin of stifle

1
C14: variant of stuflen, probably from Old French estouffer to smother

Derived forms of stifle

  • stifler, noun

British Dictionary definitions for stifle (2 of 2)

stifle2

/ (ˈstaɪfəl) /


noun
  1. the joint in the hind leg of a horse, dog, etc, between the femur and tibia

Origin of stifle

2
C14: of unknown origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012