strangle

/ˈstræŋɡl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈstræŋɡl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈstraŋ-gəl/ (ame, mw)

strangle — 動詞

  • stranglepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • strangleshe / she / it
  • strangledpast simple
  • strangling-ing form

1. to cause the death of a person or animal by squeezing the neck tightly, usually

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

勒死；掐死

用手或繩子壓迫喉嚨致死

to cause the death of a person or animal by squeezing the neck tightly, usually with your hands, a rope, or a similar object, cutting off the supply of air to the lungs.

例句

Forensic experts concluded that the victim had been strangled by hand, not with a rope.

鑑識專家判定，這名受害者是被用手勒死的，而不是用繩子。

be strangled + by / with — agent vs instrument

The documentary showed farmers in rural areas strangling large snakes to protect their livestock.

這部紀錄片呈現了某些鄉村地區的農民如何勒死大蛇來保護家畜。

同義詞
  • throttle

    more specific — suggests pressing the throat with hands, often in a violent attack; less common in everyday English.

  • choke

    broader — can mean internal airway blockage (by food) or external pressure; less specific than 'strangle'.

  • garrotte

    more specific — killing by tightening a cord or wire around the neck; associated with espionage and assassination.

文法句型

strangle + noun phrase (person/animal)

be strangled + with/by + object

用法筆記

This sense is frequently used in the passive voice (be/get strangled) in crime reporting and police investigations. The instrument is introduced by 'with' (strangled with a rope) and the agent by 'by' (strangled by the killer).

常見錯誤

❌The cat strangled when it ate too fast.
✅The cat choked when it ate too fast.
💡'strangle' requires external pressure on the throat; 'choke' is for internal airway blockage.

2. to prevent the growth, development, or success of something by severely limiting

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

扼殺；壓制

阻止事物發展或成長

to prevent the growth, development, or success of something by severely limiting the conditions it needs — for example, restricting funding, free expression, or room to expand until the activity nearly or completely dies out.

例句

Bureaucratic red tape slowly strangled the proposed housing project over three years.

官僚體制的繁文縟節在三年內慢慢地扼殺了那項住宅建設計畫。

strangled + project (figurative — impeding progress)

Ananya believes that too much screen time can strangle a child's natural creativity.

Ananya 認為，過多的螢幕時間會扼殺孩子的自然創造力。

同義詞
  • stifle

    overlapping but slightly milder — suggests suppressing or holding back rather than completely killing off.

  • smother

    more vivid — suggests covering or overwhelming something so it cannot breathe or function.

  • crush

    broader — can be physical or figurative; implies forceful destruction rather than slow suffocation.

反義詞
  • nurture

    opposite direction — providing the conditions needed for growth.

  • foster

    actively encouraging development, the reverse of suppressing it.

文法句型

strangle + abstract noun (growth/creativity/hope)

用法筆記

Subject is typically an impersonal force (regulations, bureaucracy, censorship, lack of funds) rather than a person. The object is always an abstract noun — a process, movement, or quality that needs room to grow.

常見錯誤

❌The teacher strangled the student's question.
✅The teacher dismissed the student's question.
💡'strangle' in this figurative sense applies to things, not to people or their speech acts.

3. to stop breathing and die because something presses against your throat or block

3.動詞不及物C1
釋義

窒息而死

因喉嚨被壓迫而無法呼吸致死

to stop breathing and die because something presses against your throat or blocks your airway from outside — for example, getting tangled in a cord or having something heavy press on your neck.

例句

The kitten nearly strangled when its head got stuck in a narrow plastic jar.

那隻小貓的頭卡在一個狹窄的塑膠罐裡，差點窒息而死。

strangled intransitively — animal + trapped head

The mountaineer strangled on a safety rope after falling into a crevasse.

那名登山客墜落冰隙後，被安全繩勒住而窒息。

同義詞
  • choke

    much more common; can refer to internal airway block (food, liquid) or external pressure; 'strangle' is narrower.

  • suffocate

    broader — means to die from lack of air generally, not specifically from throat compression.

文法句型

strangle + on + noun phrase

strangle + to death

用法筆記

This intransitive use is uncommon in everyday language; native speakers more often use the passive construction ('was strangled') or the verb 'choke' for blockages inside the throat. The intransitive 'strangle' typically describes accidents involving animals or outdoor equipment.

常見錯誤

❌He strangled on a peanut.
✅He choked on a peanut.
💡internal airway block uses 'choke'. 'Strangle' requires external compression of the throat.