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Synonyms

stifling

American  
[stahy-fling] / ˈstaɪ flɪŋ /

adjective

  1. suffocating; oppressively close.

    the stifling atmosphere of the cavern.
stifling British  
/ ˈstaɪflɪŋ /

adjective

  1. oppressively hot or stuffy

    a stifling atmosphere
"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

  • stiflingly adverb
  • unstifling adjective

Etymology

Origin of stifling

First recorded in 1550–60; stifle 1 + -ing 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.

They had outgunned Scotland, routing them at the breakdown, stifling their lethal runners, battering them in the collisions.

From BBC

The group seeks to prepare for the AI era and make sure global AI regulation doesn’t become stifling, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Trojans eventually settled in on offense, but their stifling defense would lead the way throughout.

From Los Angeles Times

The air was stifling, with no hint of breeze.

From Literature

I thrashed my limbs in desperate abandon as it streamed into my nose and mouth, stifling me, seeping into my very pores, weighing me down.

From Literature

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.