suffocate
Americanverb (used with object)
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suffocates,
present (3rd person singular)
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suffocated,
past participle, past
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suffocating
present participle
verb
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to kill or be killed by the deprivation of oxygen, as by obstruction of the air passage or inhalation of noxious gases
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to block the air passages or have the air passages blocked
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to feel or cause to feel discomfort from heat and lack of air
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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suffocationnoun
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suffocatingadjective
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suffocativeadjective
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unsuffocatedadjective
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unsuffocativeadjective
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suffocatinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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suffocatesimple
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suffocatessimple
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have suffocatedperfect
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has suffocatedperfect
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am suffocatingprogressive
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are suffocatingprogressive
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is suffocatingprogressive
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have been suffocatingperfect progressive
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has been suffocatingperfect progressive
Past
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suffocatedsimple
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had suffocatedperfect
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was suffocatingprogressive
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were suffocatingprogressive
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had been suffocatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of suffocate
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin suffōcātus (past participle of suffōcāre “to choke, stifle”), equivalent to suf- suf- + -fōc- (combining form of fauc-, stem of faucēs “throat”) + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
When you suffocate, you struggle for breath, either because you’re being choked to death or because you’re in a stifling room. You can also suffocate in a figurative sense anytime something is restricted. Suffocate can also mean to die from lack of oxygen. If you’re a miner who gets trapped in a collapsed mine, you'll likely suffocate. Less seriously, if the ventilation system is turned off in your school, you might feel as though you'll suffocate. And if your art teacher insists that you produce Dadaist paintings, you may feel that she's trying to suffocate your talent.
Vocabulary lists containing suffocate
"My Favorite Chaperone," Vocabulary from the short story
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A Thousand Splendid Suns
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Out of the Dust
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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.
See Examples For:
"The biggest worry was that they were going to suffocate in the smoke, but the smoke did carry over them," he said, confirming the animals had survived.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Despite U.S. efforts to suffocate the smuggling, Tehran reaped around $31 billion in oil revenue from China last year, according to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a Congressional group.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
“Take advantage of the time you have ahead of you to understand risk better. Don’t suffocate your portfolio” by allocating too much for income-based investments.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 26, 2026
Their breath was believed to poison the air and suffocate the land, especially in swampy regions where disease was common.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 2, 2026
The nicest part is being able to write down all my thoughts and feelings; otherwise, I’d absolutely suffocate.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
"She has heart disease. Sometimes she suffocates and turns blue. She can't continue living in a tent."
From BBC ● May 20, 2025
However, if there is too much calcium, the mitochondrial processes become unbalanced and the cell suffocates.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 29, 2024
As Spain suffocates under high temperatures, ice on its mountains is melting.
From Reuters ● Aug. 9, 2023
In Los Angeles County alone, a baby suffocates nearly every week while sleeping, according to the infant safe sleep campaign from the Inter-Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2023
There is a new air in our conversations, short and choppy, so hot that the effort suffocates us both.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
It was a game New England nearly blew but didn’t; it was a potential loss that could have suffocated playoff hopes, but the Patriots completed the job.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Rodri: Outstanding performance by the Spain captain as France were suffocated and La Roja's midfield dominated their opponents from start to finish.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
India has also received three shipments of crude oil from Iran, according to a local Iranian diplomatic mission—the first such transfers in years after sanctions suffocated trade between the two countries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
"Around 9 pm, I was feeling suffocated and nostalgic, so I got in the car to drive around town," a 28-year-old woman told AFP on Monday on condition that her identity be protected.
From Barron's ● Apr. 1, 2026
Although our spacious dining room gave way to an even wider living room, I felt suffocated.
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Her plan was to float around an underwater living room set up in her inner, surreal, suffocating fantasy world.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
Indonesia has been battling fires for weeks in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, sending suffocating haze across the islands and neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
A franchise that used to cycle through mostly forgettable quarterbacks and relied on suffocating defense now hopes to win a Super Bowl by betting that its budding star can outscore just about anyone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
His high-press, suffocating style was once revolutionary but is now firmly in the mainstream.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
The claustrophobic tunnels, foul air, suffocating darkness on all sides.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
