Synonyms

choking

American

[choh-king] / ˈtʃoʊ kɪŋ /

adjective

(of the voice) husky and strained, especially because of emotion.
causing the feeling of being choked.

a choking cloud of smoke.

Other Word Forms

chokingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of choking

choke + -ing ²

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.

Hazardous haze has also been choking people elsewhere in South East Asia, with the most number of hotspots flaring up across Malaysia and Indonesia in seven years.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

That choking siege in July was the worst but not the first attack by an enemy that Los Angeles would be fighting long after World War II was over.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

The move was unable, however, to overcome fears about the choking of energy supplies, with the Strait of Hormuz -- through which a fifth of global crude passes -- effectively shut down.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

Tehran was shrouded in thick, choking smoke from burning fuel depots as Mojtaba Khamenei took up his role as Iran’s new supreme leader over the weekend.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

They hung stale in the fetid air, choking her, making her head pound each time they echoed in her mind.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023