stifle

¹ American  

[stahy-fuhl] / ˈstaɪ fəl /

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

   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

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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 American  

[stahy-fuhl] / ˈstaɪ fəl /

noun

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

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stifle ¹ British  

/ 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

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stifle ² British  

/ ˈstaɪfəl /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• stifler
  noun

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."

Example Sentences

Stifle reiterates its buy rating and raises its price target to $20 from $17.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

What the 49ers need to do: Stifle Packers running back Aaron Jones.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 18, 2024

Stifle any contradictory evidence as much as possible.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2019

Since the Stifle Tower’s return, they are giving up 98.1, sixth in the league.

From Washington Times • Jan. 18, 2016

He leaned over and whispered, “Joe! Calm your jets. Stifle it, Joe. We’re outnumbered here.”

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

Related Words

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