Dictionary.com

stifle

1
[ stahy-fuhl ]
/ ˈstaɪ fəl /
See synonyms for: stifle / stifled / stifling on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), sti·fled, sti·fling.

to quell, crush, or end by force: to stifle a revolt; to stifle free expression.
to suppress, curb, or withhold: to stifle a yawn.
to kill by impeding respiration; smother.

verb (used without object), sti·fled, sti·fling.

to suffer from difficulty in breathing, as in a close atmosphere.
to become stifled or suffocated.

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Origin of stifle

1
1350–1400; Middle English <Old Norse stīfla to stop up, dam, akin to stīfr stiff

OTHER WORDS FROM stifle

stifler, nounun·sti·fled, adjective

Words nearby stifle

stiffener, stiff-man syndrome, stiff-necked, stiff upper lip, stiffy, stifle, stifling, stigma, stigmasterol, stigmatic, stigmatism

Definition for stifle (2 of 2)

stifle2
[ stahy-fuhl ]
/ ˈstaɪ fəl /

noun

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

Origin of stifle

2
1275–1325; Middle English < ?
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to stifle

muzzle, suppress, smother, repress, suffocate, curb, squelch, strangle, silence, asphyxiate, stultify, muffle, stagnate, stop, choke, cork, hush, trammel, kill, squash

Example sentences from the Web for stifle

British Dictionary definitions for stifle (1 of 2)

stifle1
/ (ˈstaɪfəl) /

verb

(tr) to smother or suppressstifle a cough
to feel or cause to feel discomfort and difficulty in breathing
to prevent or be prevented from breathing so as to cause death
(tr) to crush or stamp out

Derived forms of stifle

stifler, noun

Word Origin for stifle

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

British Dictionary definitions for stifle (2 of 2)

stifle2
/ (ˈstaɪfəl) /

noun

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

Word Origin for stifle

C14: of unknown origin
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