suffocation

IPA/ˌsʌfəˈkeɪʃn/

KK[sˌʌfəkˈeʃən]IPA/ˌsʌfəˈkeɪʃn/

1.nounB2

Definition

death that happens when a person or animal cannot get enough oxygen to breathe, either because the air supply is cut off or because the surrounding air has no oxygen in it.

Example

The medical report listed suffocation as Tomás's cause of death after the house fire.

die of suffocation (cause of death collocation)

Parents of young children worry about suffocation from plastic bags or loose bedding.

Common collocations

die of suffocation
death by suffocation
risk of suffocation
suffocation hazard
cause of suffocation

Synonyms

asphyxiation
the medical or formal term for death from lack of oxygen
choking
focuses on the airway being blocked from inside, not outside

Antonyms

breathing
the normal act of taking in oxygen

Common Mistakes

❖ 'He died of suffocation by the smoke.' ✅ 'He died of suffocation from the smoke.' — 'from' is the standard preposition used with the cause, not 'by.'

❖ 'The suffocation killed three people.' ✅ 'Suffocation killed three people / Three people died of suffocation.' — 'suffocation' is uncountable and usually does not take 'the' when referring to the general cause.

suffocationpresent simple I / you / we / they
suffocations3rd person singular
suffocationing-ing form
suffocationedpast simple

1.verbtransitiveB2

Definition

to kill someone by preventing them from breathing, usually by covering their nose and mouth or pressing on their throat.

Example

The attacker tried to suffocate the night guard with a pillow during the robbery.

attempted suffocation: try to suffocate [person] with [object]

In the crime novel, the killer suffocates victims by holding a cloth over their faces.

Common collocations

suffocate with a pillow
suffocate a victim
try to suffocate
be suffocated by

Synonyms

asphyxiate
more formal or medical; can also mean depriving of oxygen without physical force
smother
specifically means covering the face to stop breathing

Grammar Patterns

suffocate + object

be suffocated by + agent

Usage Note

The subject is usually a person who deliberately blocks someone's breathing. Frequently appears in crime and legal contexts. Commonly used in the passive voice (be suffocated by).

Common Mistakes

❖ 'He suffocated her with a smoke.' ✅ 'He suffocated her with a pillow.' — 'suffocate' in this sense means physically blocking the airway, not poisoning or using smoke.

2.verbtransitiveB2

Definition

to prevent a living thing from getting enough oxygen, causing injury or death, often without deliberate human action.

Example

The thick plastic wrapping suffocated the plants by stopping air from reaching their roots.

accidental suffocation: [material] suffocates [living thing]

Firefighters worried that the heavy smoke would suffocate anyone trapped inside the burning building.

Common collocations

suffocate plants
suffocate by smoke
suffocate a fire

Synonyms

asphyxiate
more formal; often used in medical or environmental contexts

Antonyms

oxygenate
to supply with oxygen

Grammar Patterns

suffocate + object

Usage Note

The subject can be any material, substance, or condition that blocks oxygen. Unlike sense 1, this does not require a deliberate killer — smoke, oil, or a loose blanket can suffocate accidentally.

3.verbtransitiveB1

Definition

to make someone feel very uncomfortable because the air in a room, vehicle, or other space is too hot and does not move.

Example

The crowded bus suffocated the passengers during the summer heat wave in Taipei.

[confined space] suffocates [person]

Chiara felt the small windowless office would suffocate her if she stayed much longer.

Common collocations

suffocate in a room
suffocate on a bus
stuffy air suffocates

Synonyms

stifle
can mean the same but also has figurative uses
smother
more about covering than heat and poor air

Grammar Patterns

[stuffy space] suffocates + object

Usage Note

The subject is typically a space (a room, bus, train) with poor ventilation. This sense does not imply death — only extreme discomfort from heat and lack of fresh air.

Common Mistakes

❖ 'The hot weather suffocated me.' ✅ 'The small room suffocated me.' — the subject should be a confined space with bad air, not the weather itself.

4.verbtransitiveB2

Definition

to prevent something from developing, growing, or expressing itself freely — for example, stifling creativity, freedom, or a business.

Example

The strict school rules suffocated the students' creativity during art class.

figurative: [restriction] suffocates [abstract quality]

Ilan felt that his parents' constant worrying was suffocating his independence at age twenty.

Common collocations

suffocate creativity
suffocate freedom
suffocate debate
suffocate ambition

Synonyms

stifle
very similar; suffocate is slightly stronger and more dramatic
suppress
suggests active force to stop something from being known or expressed
crush
more violent, suggests complete destruction

Antonyms

encourage
to give support and confidence to develop
nurture
to care for and help grow

Grammar Patterns

suffocate + abstract noun

Usage Note

Figurative sense: the subject is typically an external force such as rules, control, expectations, or a limiting environment. The object is usually an abstract noun like creativity, freedom, debate, ambition, or independence.

Common Mistakes

❖ 'The heat suffocated my work.' ✅ 'The strict rules suffocated my creativity.' — this figurative sense needs an abstract quality (creativity, freedom) as the object, not a concrete product or activity.

5.verbintransitiveB2

Definition

to die because you cannot breathe, for example because you are in a place with no air or the air is poisonous.

Example

Three workers suffocated when toxic gas filled the underground tunnel near the mine.

intransitive: [person] suffocates in [place/cause]

The kitten suffocated after climbing into a tightly sealed storage box in the garage.

Common collocations

suffocate from smoke
suffocate in a fire
almost suffocate
suffocate to death

Synonyms

asphyxiate
more technical; used especially in medical reports

Antonyms

breathe
the normal act of taking in air

Grammar Patterns

[living thing] suffocates

Usage Note

Intransitive — the subject is the living thing that dies. Distinguished from sense 1 by the absence of an external agent causing the death; here, the cause is an environmental condition or medical event.

Common Mistakes

❖ 'The man suffocated by the smoke.' ✅ 'The man suffocated from the smoke.' — in the intransitive sense, the cause is introduced with 'from' or 'in,' never 'by' (which is used in passive transitive constructions).

6.verbintransitiveB1

Definition

to feel very uncomfortable because the air around you is too hot, still, and has no movement.

Example

Justin suffocated in the stuffy attic while searching for his grandmother's old photo albums.

intransitive: [person] suffocates in [space]

The wedding guests began to suffocate in the crowded hall without any air conditioning.

Common collocations

suffocate in a room
suffocate in the heat
begin to suffocate
feel like suffocating

Synonyms

stifle
can also describe discomfort from heat and bad air

Grammar Patterns

[person] suffocates in [confined space]

Usage Note

Intransitive — describes the feeling of being in an airless space. Different from sense 3 (transitive) because here there is no object; the subject experiences the discomfort directly. Often used with 'feel' or 'start' as helping verbs.

7.verbintransitiveC1

Definition

to gradually lose the ability to grow, develop, or express yourself because of too many rules, controls, or pressures around you.

Example

Tariq felt his spirit suffocate under the weight of endless rules at the office.

figurative intransitive: [spirit / soul] suffocates under [pressure]

Local businesses suffocated when the new shopping mall opened and took away all their customers.

Common collocations

suffocate under rules
suffocate in a system
dreams suffocate
spirit suffocates

Synonyms

wither
suggests slowly dying from lack of nourishment rather than pressure
die out
more final; suggests complete disappearance

Antonyms

thrive
to grow and develop well
flourish
to grow in a healthy and successful way

Grammar Patterns

[abstract entity] suffocates under [pressure]

Usage Note

Figurative intransitive sense — describes abstract entities (spirit, creativity, business, dream) losing vitality due to external constraints. The metaphor comes from the physical experience of being unable to breathe in a tight space.

Word family

suffocate
verbB2
suffocating
adjectiveB2
suffocated
adjectiveB2
suffocatingly
adverbC1
suffocative
adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/3

Suffocate, stifle, smother, and choke all describe difficulties with breathing, but they differ in how the air is blocked. Suffocate is the broadest term — it covers death from lack of oxygen, discomfort from stuffy air, and figurative uses. Stifle often implies heat and poor ventilation in a confined space (e.g., 'the stifling heat of the attic'), and its figurative use (stifling creativity) is very common. Smother specifically means covering the face or mouth with something soft like a pillow or blanket. Choke means the airway is blocked from the inside (by food, liquid, or swelling). In figurative contexts, suffocate and stifle are the most versatile, while smother suggests excessive attention or affection, and choke suggests pressure or restriction that prevents progress.

suffocate ↗stifle ↗smother ↗choke ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

die of suffocation
death by suffocation
risk of suffocation

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'suffocation' comes from the Latin verb 'suffocare', which means 'to choke or stifle'. This verb was formed by combining 'sub-' (meaning 'from below' or 'up from under') with 'fauces' (meaning 'throat'). So the original image was of something pressing up from below against the throat, blocking the airway. The word entered English through French in the 15th century, first used in medical contexts to describe death from lack of air, and later extended to figurative uses about preventing growth or expression.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

Entries near

Previous entries

Next entries

suffocation

suffocation — noun

1. death that happens when a person or animal cannot get enough oxygen to breathe,

Common Mistakes

suffocation — verb

1. to kill someone by preventing them from breathing, usually by covering their nos

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. to prevent a living thing from getting enough oxygen, causing injury or death, o

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

3. to make someone feel very uncomfortable because the air in a room, vehicle, or o

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

4. to prevent something from developing, growing, or expressing itself freely — for

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

5. to die because you cannot breathe, for example because you are in a place with n

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

6. to feel very uncomfortable because the air around you is too hot, still, and has

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

7. to gradually lose the ability to grow, develop, or express yourself because of t

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Entries near

Entries near