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Synonyms

stifled

American  
[stahy-fuhld] / ˈstaɪ fəld /

adjective

  1. quelled, crushed, or ended by force.

    The activist has been in and out of detention as she continues to call attention to her country's stifled uprising.

  2. suppressed, repressed, or inhibited.

    My foot slipped, and with a stifled shriek I found myself grasping desperately for a handhold.

    One version of me grew up as expected, appearing as a confident adult to the outside world; the other remained a stifled, insecure child.

  3. deprived of air or of the ability to breathe.

    The light is mixed with the dust floating in the stifled hut, where the air inside never moves.

    When I see that picture of the stifled refugees hidden in the van, I don’t understand the heartlessness that permits such a thing.

verb

  1. the simple past tense and past participle of stifle.

Other Word Forms

  • unstifled adjective

Etymology

Origin of stifled

stifle 1 ( def. ) + -ed 2

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.

Starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez stifled the USA bats led by New York Yankees home run king Aaron Judge.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

Her stifled panic makes it obvious that fear is taking over.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

New England's second-year quarterback Drake Maye narrowly missed out on this season's Most Valuable Player award but was stifled by the Seahawks, who claimed six sacks, forced three turnovers and scored a defensive touchdown.

From BBC • Feb. 8, 2026

The party’s longer leash for some creative industries is helping to boost cultural output that had been stifled by regulatory scrutiny in recent years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026

As they entered the second tower, a figure emerged from the shadows, and Nina barely stifled a scream.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.