suffocate
English · Thesaurus
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suffocate
- /ˈsʌfəkeɪt/
- /ˈsʌfəkət/
Where it comes from
The adjective is first attested in the 1420s, the verb in 1526; from Middle English suffocat(e) (“deprived of air, suffocated”), borrowed from Latin suffōcātus, the perfect passive participle of Latin suffōcō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from sub- (“under, up to”) + fōx (“throat”, oblique stem in fōc-). Participial usage up until Early Modern English.
verb suffocates · suffocating · suffocated
-
To suffer, or cause someone to suffer, from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body.
Open the hatch, he is suffocating in the airlock!
Similar: asphyxiate, choke
-
To die due to, or kill someone by means of, insufficient oxygen supply to the body.
He suffocated his wife by holding a pillow over her head.
Similar: stifle, choke, asphyxiate, smother
-
To overwhelm, or be overwhelmed (by a person or issue), as though with oxygen deprivation.
I'm suffocating under this huge workload.
Similar: drown, asphyxiate, choke, stifle
- To destroy; to extinguish. to suffocate fire
Similar: smother
adjective more suffocate · most suffocate
- Suffocated, choked.
- Smothered, overwhelmed. This chaos, when degree is suffocate, follows the choking
Thesaurus
verb
Similar: smother
Translations
Every language
verb (transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake
| Español | sofocar |
|---|---|
| Português | sufocar |
| Deutsch | ersticken |
| Русский | души́ть dušítʹ, задуши́ть zadušítʹ, удуши́ть udušítʹ |
| עברית | חנק |
verb (intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body
| Español | sofocarse |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 질식하다 jilsikhada |
| 日本語 | 窒息する chissoku suru |
| 中文 | 窒息 zhìxī |
| Português | sufocar |
| Français | suffoquer |
| Deutsch | ersticken |
| Русский | задыха́ться zadyxátʹsja, задохну́ться zadoxnútʹsja |
| Tiếng Việt | ngạt, ngạt thở, ngộp, ngộp thở |
| עברית | נחנק |
verb (transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body
| Español | sofocar |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 질식시키다 jilsiksikida |
| 日本語 | 窒息させる chissoku saseru |
| 中文 | 使窒息 shǐ zhìxī |
| Português | sufocar |
| Français | étouffer |
| Deutsch | ersticken, würgen |
| Русский | души́ть dušítʹ, задуши́ть zadušítʹ, удуши́ть udušítʹ |
| العربية | خَنَقَ ḵanaqa |
| עברית | חנק |
verb (intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body
| Español | sofocarse |
|---|---|
| Português | sufocar |
| Français | suffoquer |
| Deutsch | ersticken |
| Русский | задыха́ться zadyxátʹsja, задохну́ться zadoxnútʹsja |
| Tiếng Việt | chết ngạt, chết ngộp |
| العربية | اِخْتَنَقَ iḵtanaqa |
| עברית | נחנק |
Talk about this word "suffocate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/suffocate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. suffocate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/suffocate "suffocate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/suffocate.Cite this
@misc{suffocate_2026,
title = {suffocate},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/suffocate},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
