choked
choked — adjective
- chokedpositive
- chokedercomparative
- chokedestsuperlative
1. so upset or deeply moved that your voice can barely come out
so upset or deeply moved that your voice can barely come out
When the choir sang her late father's song, Dahlia sounded choked.
be choked with emotion
Vikram gave a choked laugh before admitting how scared he was.
a choked laugh
The winner's thank-you speech came out choked with tears and relief.
choked with tears
Camila's voice grew choked as she read the old letter aloud.
a choked voice
- a choked voice
- a choked laugh
- sound choked
- grow choked with emotion
- steady
shows calm, controlled speech
Grammar Patterns
be choked with emotion
a choked voice
a choked laugh
Usage Note
Usually describes a voice, laugh, or attempt to speak. Distinguish it from verb sense 6, which focuses on the moment your throat tightens rather than the resulting way you sound.
choked — verb
- chokedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- chokeds3rd person singular
- chokeding-ing form
- chokededpast simple
1. to stop someone from breathing normally by pressing the throat or by filling the
to stop someone from breathing normally by pressing the throat or by filling the air with something harmful
The attacker tried to choke the guard with a length of wire.
choke + person + with + object
Smoke from the generator nearly choked the workers in the tunnel.
smoke chokes + person
A plastic bag can choke a baby within a few minutes.
choke + person
The chemical leak choked everyone who remained inside the small lab.
inanimate cause chokes + person
- choke someone with wire
- be choked by smoke
- choke a victim
- choke the airways
- suffocate
more general; can describe any severe lack of air
- strangle
specifically focuses on squeezing the neck
- asphyxiate
more formal and medical
- revive
to help someone recover after breathing stops
Grammar Patterns
choke + person
choke + person + with + object
smoke/gas chokes + person
Usage Note
This sense has an outside cause that cuts off air. Distinguish it from sense 4, where the person is the one who starts choking because of a blocked airway.
Common Mistakes
2. to hold back the growth, progress, or activity of something so that it cannot de
to hold back the growth, progress, or activity of something so that it cannot develop freely
High borrowing costs have choked investment across the building industry.
choke + investment
Too many rules can choke creativity in a young design team.
choke + creativity
The long permit delay choked plans for the new clinic.
choke + plans/progress
Fear of mistakes often chokes progress in the first weeks of training.
choke + progress
- choke growth
- choke investment
- choke creativity
- choke economic activity
Grammar Patterns
choke + growth
choke + creativity
choke + activity/development
Usage Note
Often used for progress, business activity, ideas, or development that gets slowed so much it can barely continue.
3. to block a passage or channel by filling it so tightly that movement through it
to block a passage or channel by filling it so tightly that movement through it becomes difficult or impossible
Wet leaves had choked the drain behind the kitchen wall.
choke + drain
Mud from the storm choked every roadside ditch in the village.
mud chokes + passage
Builders found that tree roots had choked the old sewer pipe.
roots choke + pipe
Rubbish quickly choked the narrow canal after the holiday weekend.
choke + canal
- choke a drain
- choke a pipe
- choke a canal
- choke a passage
- clear
to remove the blockage from a passage
Grammar Patterns
choke + drain/pipe
roots/leaves/mud choke + passage
Usage Note
Use this sense when something physically fills a pipe, drain, road, or other passage. Sense 5 is the intransitive result after the blockage forms.
4. to stop breathing properly because something is blocking your airway
to stop breathing properly because something is blocking your airway
The baby started to choke on a coin beside the sofa.
choke on + object
Eshe suddenly choked when a fish bone caught deep in the throat.
start choking after blockage
Several runners choked on smoke as they left the stadium.
choke on smoke
The dog began to choke after swallowing part of the toy.
begin to choke
- choke on food
- choke on smoke
- begin to choke
- nearly choke
- breathe
to take air in normally
Grammar Patterns
choke on + food/object
start/begin to choke
choke from + smoke
Usage Note
The person or animal experiencing the blocked airway is the subject. For an outside force that cuts off air, use sense 1 instead.
Common Mistakes
5. to become blocked or slowed because movement can no longer pass through easily
to become blocked or slowed because movement can no longer pass through easily
Traffic choked near the bridge after two buses broke down.
traffic chokes
The printer choked when thick card jammed inside the rollers.
machine chokes
Negotiations quickly choked after both sides rejected the compromise.
process chokes
The narrow stream choked with weeds by the end of summer.
choke with + blockage
- traffic choked
- stream choked with weeds
- printer choked
- talks choked
Grammar Patterns
road/stream/printer chokes
choke with + weeds/debris
traffic chokes
Usage Note
This intransitive sense focuses on the affected road, stream, machine, or process. Sense 3 names the thing that causes the blockage.
6. to feel your throat tighten because of strong emotion so that speaking becomes d
to feel your throat tighten because of strong emotion so that speaking becomes difficult
Christopher choked when he saw his daughter on the graduation stage.
choke when + emotional event
The widow choked at the final line of the memorial poem.
choke at + words
Selim paused and choked before telling the class about the accident.
choke before + speaking
At the airport, a goodbye hug made both brothers choke.
emotion makes someone choke
- choke with emotion
- choke back tears
- choke at the words
- choke before speaking
- speak steadily
to keep your voice calm and even
Grammar Patterns
choke with emotion
choke when + clause
choke before + -ing
Usage Note
This verb names the moment emotion catches in the throat. The adjective entry describes the strained voice or laugh that results.
7. to lose your nerve in an important moment and perform much worse than you were e
to lose your nerve in an important moment and perform much worse than you were expected to
The striker choked and sent the penalty far over the bar.
player chokes in key moment
Xiu had led all week, then choked in the final round.
choke in the final round
Investors said the company choked when the merger talks turned tense.
company chokes under pressure
After a strong start, the quiz team choked at the last question.
choke at the last step
- choke under pressure
- choke in the final
- big-game choke
- choke at the last moment
Grammar Patterns
choke in the final round
choke under pressure
team/player chokes
Usage Note
Common in sport, competition, and other high-pressure situations. It suggests a sudden collapse in performance, not just an ordinary mistake.
Common Mistakes
8. to hold a bat higher up on the handle, or to hold it that way yourself, so the s
to hold a bat higher up on the handle, or to hold it that way yourself, so the swing becomes shorter and easier to control
With two strikes, the rookie choked up and punched a single to right.
intransitive baseball use
The coach told Indra to choke up on the bat for better control.
choke up on + bat
Facing the fast pitcher, the smallest hitter choked up and looked for contact.
shorter grip for contact
Late in the game, the catcher choked up to place the bunt cleanly.
choke up to shorten swing
- choke up on the bat
- choke up for control
- choke up with two strikes
- choke up the handle
- grip at the end
to keep the hands lower for a longer, more powerful swing
Grammar Patterns
choke up on + bat
choke up the bat
choke up for control
Usage Note
Used mainly in American baseball. The idea is to trade power for better bat control.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/4
For the everyday airway-blockage sense, 'choke' is the clearest word when food, smoke, or another object stops normal breathing. 'Gag' often happens earlier: your body reacts, but the airway may not be fully blocked yet. 'Gasp' focuses on the desperate attempt to pull in air, not on what caused the problem. 'Suffocate' is broader and more serious, covering any situation where air cannot reach the lungs for long enough. If a child swallows a coin and cannot breathe, 'choke' is the natural verb. If a runner reaches fresh air and is still pulling in sharp breaths, 'gasp' fits better.
Common collocations
Etymology
This word goes back to an Old English verb connected with the cheek, jaw, and throat area. The earliest idea was physical pressure in the part of the body used for breathing and swallowing. From that bodily sense, English later extended the word to blocked pipes, stalled movement, emotional tightness in the throat, and even failure in tense moments.
First known use
14th century
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1