asphyxiate

American

[as-fik-see-eyt] / æsˈfɪk siˌeɪt /

verb (used with object)

asphyxiated, asphyxiating

to produce asphyxia in.
to cause to die or lose consciousness by impairing normal breathing, as by gas or other noxious agents; choke; suffocate; smother.

verb (used without object)

asphyxiated, asphyxiating

to become asphyxiated.

asphyxiate British

/ æsˈfɪksɪˌeɪt /

verb

to cause asphyxia in or undergo asphyxia; smother; suffocate

"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

Other Word Forms

asphyxiation noun
asphyxiator noun

Etymology

Origin of asphyxiate

First recorded in 1830–40; asphyxi(a) + -ate ¹

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.

This stops the stress hormone and lactic acid buildup that can hurt flavor and texture when fish are left to asphyxiate.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 29, 2025

The allegations were released Thursday by Haiti’s antigovernment corruption unit, whose general director, Hans Joseph, pledged to go after those who “torpedo the public treasury and asphyxiate the country’s economic and social development efforts.”

From Seattle Times • Aug. 26, 2022

They now dominate the culture so thoroughly that they threaten to asphyxiate it.

From New York Times • Oct. 16, 2019

At the same time, Lake Kivu, the body of water on whose shores Goma sits, could potentially asphyxiate millions in the event of an earthquake, thanks to gases building up beneath its surface.

From Salon • Oct. 12, 2019

Poor engine hates it—coughing and spluttering the whole way—suppose I’m lucky I didn’t asphyxiate in the exhaust.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

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