suffocate

verb

struggle for breath

feel uncomfortable for lack of fresh air

be asphyxiated

suppress the development, creativity, or imagination of

become stultified, suppressed, or stifled

impair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of

deprive of oxygen and prevent from breathing

Roots

subsuf- · Latin · under, below fauces-foc · Latin · throat

Synonyms for suffocate

asphyxiatev smotherv stranglev chokev stiflev strangulatev gagn drownv constrictv repressv

Synonyms & related words for suffocate

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of suffocate — including asphyxiate, smother, strangle, choke, stifle, strangulate. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to suffocate

Explore words related to suffocate — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include suffocative, smothery, smotheriness, suffocatingly, suffocation, asphyxiator, asphyxiant, unchoke. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for suffocate

Common synonyms for suffocate include asphyxiate, smother, strangle, choke, stifle, strangulate, gag, drown — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does suffocate come from?

The word suffocate breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: suf-, from Latin sub (“under, below”); and -foc, from Latin fauces (“throat”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.