stifle
1 Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
-
to suffer from difficulty in breathing, as in a close atmosphere.
-
to become stifled or suffocated.
noun
verb
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(tr) to smother or suppress
stifle a cough
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to feel or cause to feel discomfort and difficulty in breathing
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to prevent or be prevented from breathing so as to cause death
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(tr) to crush or stamp out
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have stifledperfect
-
has stifledperfect 3rd person singular
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are stiflingprogressive
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has been stiflingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is stiflingprogressive 3rd person singular
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stiflessingular 3rd person
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am stiflingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been stiflingperfect progressive
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stiflingparticiple
Past
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had stifledperfect
-
were stiflingprogressive plural
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stifledsimple
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was stiflingprogressive singular
-
had been stiflingperfect progressive
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stifledparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of stifle1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English from Old Norse stīfla “to stop up, dam,” akin to stīfr “stiff”
Origin of stifle2
1275–1325; Middle English < ?
Explanation
To stifle is to cut off, hold back, or smother. You may stifle your cough if you don't want to interrupt a lecture or you may stifle the competition if you fear losing. The verb stifle means “to choke, suffocate, drown.” It can describe a claustrophobic feeling, like getting smothered by kisses from your great aunt. At its most extreme, stifle means to kill by cutting off respiration. The metaphoric sense of stifle didn’t develop until well after the word was first recorded as a verb: "I can always tell — but never let on for fear of damaging his ego — that my boyfriend attempts to stifle tears during sappy parts of movies; his eyes well up at the corners and he’ll sniffle uncontrollably, claiming allergies."
Vocabulary lists containing stifle
The Diary of Anne Frank
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"The Tell-Tale Heart," Vocabulary from the short story
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List 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Some investors may be concerned that government involvement could slow or stifle innovation and development.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
But a shortage of the particular chilli pepper used to create the quintessential Caribbean condiment is threatening to stifle supply, while sending costs for the region's producers soaring.
From BBC • May 31, 2026
But from art to entrepreneurship, he argues, constraints can unleash rather than stifle great work: “In seeking more freedom we frequently hamper our best efforts, because what we really need are helpful boundaries.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
"We will vigorously oppose this effort to stifle and intimidate essential reporting," Sinha said.
From Barron's • May 12, 2026
He had his hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter.
From "The Old Willis Place" by Mary Downing Hahn
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
