# choke

/ˈtʃoʊk/ (US) · /tʃˈəʊk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/choke
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. unable to breathe

verb · CEFR B2

to have trouble breathing because your throat is blocked or the air is dirty.

For teachers: to experience a blockage of the windpipe that prevents normal respiration. Often used intransitively with 'on'.

- He started to choke on a piece of apple and needed help immediately.
- The thick smoke from the forest fire caused the residents to choke as they tried to evacuate the valley.

### 2. to block a passage

verb · CEFR B2

to fill a space so that nothing can pass through it.

For teachers: to obstruct a passage, pipe, or channel by filling it with debris or a high volume of traffic.

- Leaves and dirt began to choke the drain during the heavy rain.
- Abandoned vehicles continued to choke the main arterial roads, making it impossible for emergency services to reach the city centre.

### 3. to fail under pressure

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to perform badly in a game or test because you are very nervous.

For teachers: to fail to perform effectively at a critical moment in a competition due to psychological pressure.

- The team was winning by ten points, but they started to choke in the final minutes.
- Despite his status as the tournament favourite, he appeared to choke during the final set, committing several unforced errors that cost him the title.

Teaching tip: Commonly used in sports commentary to describe a sudden loss of composure.

### 4. to be overcome by emotion

verb · CEFR C1 · Literary

to find it hard to speak because you are feeling a very strong emotion.

For teachers: to have the voice or throat constricted by strong emotion, such as grief or anger.

- She began to choke up as she talked about her childhood home.
- He tried to finish his speech, but he was choked with emotion and had to step away from the microphone.

Usage: Often used in the phrasal verb 'choke up'.

### 5. engine part

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a part in an engine that controls the amount of air coming in.

For teachers: a valve in the carburettor of an internal combustion engine used to enrich the fuel-air mixture.

- You might need to pull the choke to get the old car started on a cold morning.
- The mechanic adjusted the manual choke to ensure the engine would idle smoothly during the winter months.

### 6. artichoke part

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the fuzzy, inedible part in the middle of an artichoke vegetable.

For teachers: the mass of immature florets in the centre of an artichoke bud, which must be removed before eating.

- Be careful to scrape away the hairy choke before you serve the artichoke hearts.
- After steaming the vegetable, use a spoon to carefully remove the fibrous choke from the base.

## Examples

- He started to choke on a piece of apple.
- The team was leading by ten points but started to choke in the final minutes of the championship.
- While physical obstruction requires immediate medical intervention, the psychological tendency to choke under extreme scrutiny often stems from over-analyzing movements that should be fluid and automatic.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.