asphyxiate

A1S1P3H4Y4X8I1A1T1E1
/əsˈfɪksieɪt/

verb

To smother or suffocate someone.

Similar
smothersuffocatestiflechoke
Scrabble 25
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Meanings

verbasphyxiate (third-person singular simple present asphyxiates, present participle asphyxiating, simple past and past participle asphyxiated)

present singular third person asphyxiates · participle present asphyxiating · participle past asphyxiated · past asphyxiated

  1. transitiveTo smother or suffocate someone.

    A 39-year-old British woman was killed when a malfunctioning ottoman bed fell on her neck and asphyxiated her, a coroner’s report said.

    2024 October 14, Issy Ronald, “Woman killed by malfunctioning ottoman bed”, in CNN, archived from the original on 22 Oct 2024
  2. intransitiveTo be smothered or suffocated.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbdeprive of oxygen and prevent from breathing

Similar
smothersuffocatestifle
Broader
kill

verbimpair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of

Similar
suffocatestiflechoke
Broader
obstructobturateimpede

verbbe asphyxiated; die from lack of oxygen

Similar
suffocatestiflesmother
Broader
diedeceaseperish
Also see
chokesmotherstiflesuffocate

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From asphyxia + -ate.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan sufocar, sufocar-se
  • sufocarto smother or suffocate someone
  • sufocar-seto be smothered or suffocated
Finnish tukehduttaa, tukehtua
  • tukehduttaato smother or suffocate someone
  • tukehtuato be smothered or suffocated
French asphyxier, faire suffoquer
  • asphyxierto smother or suffocate someone
  • faire suffoquerto smother or suffocate someone
  • s'asphyxierto be smothered or suffocated
  • suffoquerto be smothered or suffocated
Hungarian megfojt, megfullaszt
  • megfojtto smother or suffocate someone
  • megfullasztto smother or suffocate someone
  • fojtto smother or suffocate someone
  • fullasztto smother or suffocate someone
  • megfulladto be smothered or suffocated
  • fulladto be smothered or suffocated
Irish plúch
  • plúchto smother or suffocate someone
Italian asfissiare, soffocare
  • asfissiareto smother or suffocate someone
  • soffocareto smother or suffocate someone
  • soffocarsito be smothered or suffocated
Latin suffōcō, suffōcor
  • suffōcōto smother or suffocate someone
  • suffōcorto be smothered or suffocated
Māori whakahēmanawa
  • whakahēmanawato smother or suffocate someone
Polish dusić, udusić
  • dusićto smother or suffocate someone
  • udusićto smother or suffocate someone
  • dusić sięto be smothered or suffocated
  • udusić sięto be smothered or suffocated
Portuguese sufocar, sufocar-se
  • sufocarto smother or suffocate someone
  • sufocar-seto be smothered or suffocated
Russian души́ть, задуши́ть
  • души́ть (dušítʹ)to smother or suffocate someone
  • задуши́ть (zadušítʹ)to smother or suffocate someone
  • задыха́ться (zadyxátʹsja)to be smothered or suffocated
  • задохну́ться (zadoxnútʹsja)to be smothered or suffocated
Spanish asfixiar, sofocar
  • asfixiarto smother or suffocate someone
  • sofocarto smother or suffocate someone
  • asfixiarseto be smothered or suffocated
  • sofocarseto be smothered or suffocated
Turkish boğmak
  • boğmakto smother or suffocate someone
Cite this entry
APA

asphyxiate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/asphyxiate

MLA

“asphyxiate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/asphyxiate. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “asphyxiate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/asphyxiate.

Source: asphyxiate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.