# suffocate

/ˈsəfəˌkeɪt/ (US) · /sˈʌfəkˌeɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/suffocate
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 2. to struggle for breath

verb · CEFR B2

to have great difficulty breathing, often because a room is too hot or crowded.

For teachers: to experience difficulty in breathing or a sensation of being unable to inhale sufficient oxygen.

- Open a window please; I feel like I am suffocating in this heat.
- The crowded auditorium was so poorly ventilated that several attendees felt they were suffocating and had to step outside for fresh air.

### 4. to prevent growth

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to stop something from developing or growing by covering it or taking away what it needs.

For teachers: to prevent the development or growth of something by depriving it of necessary conditions or space.

- The weeds in the garden will suffocate the small flowers if you do not pull them out.
- Economists argued that the new regulations would suffocate innovation by imposing excessive costs on small start-up companies.

## Examples

- The baby suffocated on a plastic bag.
- The heavy smoke from the fire made it difficult for the residents to breathe and eventually suffocated them.
- The dense fog suffocated the valley, creating an eerie silence that seemed to swallow the sound of the approaching storm.

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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.