suffocate

American

[suhf-uh-keyt] / ˈsʌf əˌkeɪt /

verb (used with object)

suffocated, suffocating

to kill by preventing the access of air to the blood through the lungs or analogous organs, as gills; strangle.
to impede the respiration of.
to discomfort by a lack of fresh or cool air.
to overcome or extinguish; suppress.

verb (used without object)

suffocated, suffocating

to become suffocated; stifle; smother.
to be uncomfortable due to a lack of fresh or cool air.

suffocate British

/ ˈsʌfəˌkeɪt /

verb

to kill or be killed by the deprivation of oxygen, as by obstruction of the air passage or inhalation of noxious gases
to block the air passages or have the air passages blocked
to feel or cause to feel discomfort from heat and lack of air

"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

suffocating adjective
suffocatingly adverb
suffocation noun
suffocative adjective
unsuffocated adjective
unsuffocative adjective

Etymology

Origin of suffocate

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin suffōcātus (past participle of suffōcāre “to choke, stifle”), equivalent to suf- suf- + -fōc- (combining form of fauc-, stem of faucēs “throat”) + -ātus -ate ¹

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.

“Take advantage of the time you have ahead of you to understand risk better. Don’t suffocate your portfolio” by allocating too much for income-based investments.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

He produced three glorious passing shots - two off the backhand and one off the forehand - and moved well behind the baseline to suffocate Durasovic.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

Their breath was believed to poison the air and suffocate the land, especially in swampy regions where disease was common.

From Science Daily • Feb. 2, 2026

Western powers have imposed increasingly severe sanctions to suffocate the smuggling network, but Wednesday’s action—the latest in a recent string of assaults against the shadow fleet—demonstrates a more decisive approach to stamping it out.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

She had overly toned arms, thin and bulging with muscles, a pixie haircut and an air of intense anxiety; she was the sort of person whose love would suffocate.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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