stifle

¹

[stahy-fuhl]

verb (used with object)

stifled, stifling 

1. to quell, crush, or end by force: to stifle free expression.

   to stifle a revolt;

   to stifle free expression.

   Synonyms: put down, preclude, prevent, prevent
   Antonyms: encourage

2. to suppress, curb, or withhold.

   to stifle a yawn.

   Synonyms: check
   Antonyms: encourage

3. to kill by impeding respiration; smother.

   Synonyms: choke, strangle, suffocate

verb (used without object)

stifled, stifling 

1. to suffer from difficulty in breathing, as in a close atmosphere.

2. to become stifled or suffocated.

stifle

²

[stahy-fuhl]

noun

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

stifle

¹

/ ˈstaɪfəl /

verb

1. (tr) to smother or suppress

   stifle a cough

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

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

4. (tr) to crush or stamp out

stifle

²

/ ˈstaɪfəl /

noun

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

Other Word Forms

• stifler noun

Word History and Origins

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 < ?

Word History and Origins

Origin of stifle¹

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

Origin of stifle²

C14: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

Nearby, a rooster crowed, and Penelope stifled a yawn as she slipped unnoticed through the door.

Read more on Literature

Penelope glanced at the grandfather clock and stifled a yawn.

Read more on Literature

Higher longer-duration borrowing rates, however, could keep the housing market on ice, stifle returns in the highflying tech sector and potentially point to a slowing labor market, plus a toxic brew of inflation.

Read more on MarketWatch

"Jack della Maddalena has the skills to stifle Islam's game and put it on the feet and knock him out, might be second round, might be third."

Read more on BBC

The rain could even end up being a helpful follow-up to the precipitation from the past few weeks to stifle the possibility of wildfires.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• curb 
• muzzle 
• repress 
• silence 
• smother 
• squelch 
• strangle 
• suffocate 
• suppress