Meanings
stifle1
present singular third person stifles · participle present stifling · participle past stifled · past stifled · alternative stifil
- alsofigurativelytransitiveTo make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) to die by preventing breathing; to smother, to suffocate.
I took my leave, being half stifled with the closeness of the room.
1708, Jonathan Swift, Accomplishment of the First Prediction1 more example
And while her Hand the ſtreaming Blood oppos'd; / Join'd Face to Face, his Lips with hers ſhe clos'd. / Stifled with Kiſſes, a ſweet Death he dies; / She fills the Fields with undiſtinguiſh'd Cries: [...]
1717, John Dryden, “Book XII. [The Story of Cyllarus and Hylonome.]”, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 425Synonyms: asphyxiate, burke, scomfish, strangle, suffocate
- figurativelytransitiveTo keep in, hold back, or repress (something).
The army stifled the rebellion.
3 more examples
I desire only to have things fairly represented as they really are; no evidence smothered or stifled.
1723, Daniel Waterland, A Second Vindication of Christ's DivinityEdward Churchill still attended to his work in a hopeless mechanical manner like a sleep-walker who walks safely on a well-known round. But his Roman collar galled him, his cossack stifled him, his biretta was as uncomfortable as a merry-andrew's cap and bells.
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XV, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLCIn fact, there was no suggestion of that, although Wolves deployed men behind the ball to stifle the league leaders in a first-half that proved very frustrating for City.
2011 October 29, Neil Johnston, “Norwich 3-3 Blackburn”, in BBC SportSynonyms: hinder, restrain, smother, suppress, throttle, impede, behedge, guard
- intransitiveTo die of suffocation.
Two firemen tragically stifled in yesterday’s fire when trying to rescue an old lady from her bedroom.
Synonyms: asphyxiate, choke, scomfish, suffocate
- excessiveintransitiveTo smother; to make breathing difficult.
This heat is stifling.
1 more example
Nobody has shaved or changed clothes for a week, the heat stifles and the flies are everywhere. There is little water but we do not expect to be here long. This is not much of a letter, Jess. The mailbag goes down our trench once a day. I must finish because it stops for no one.
2012, Ken Catran, Letters from the Coffin-Trenches, Penguin Random House New Zealand Limited, →ISBN
stifle2
plural stifles
- biologyThe joint between the femur and tibia in the hind leg of various four-legged mammals, especially horses, corresponding to the knee in humans.
Synonyms: stifle joint
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) to die by preventing breathing; to smother, to suffocate.
verbTo cause (someone) difficulty in breathing, or a choking or gagging feeling.
verbTo make (something) unable to be heard by blocking it with some medium.
verbTo keep in, hold back, or repress (something).
verbTo prevent (something) from being revealed; to conceal, to hide, to suppress.
verbTo die of suffocation.
nounThe joint between the femur and tibia in the hind leg of various four-legged mammals, especially horses, corresponding to the knee in humans.
More synonyms by meaning
nounjoint between the femur and tibia in a quadruped; corresponds to the human knee
verbsuppress in order to conceal or hide
verbsuppress or constrain so as to lessen in intensity
verbimpair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
stifle · verb, noun
- Pre-Greek
- Ancient Greekστύπη
- Latinstuppa“coarse flax, tow”
- Vulgar Latin*stuppāre
- Old Frenchestofer
- Middle Englishstuffen“to kill by suffocation; to stifle from heat; to extinguish, suppress (body heat, breath, humour, etc.); to deprive a plant of the conditions necessary for growth, choke”
- Middle Englishstuflen“to have difficulty breathing due to heat, stifle; to suffocate by drowning, drown”
- Englishstifle
The verb is derived from Late Middle English stuflen (“to have difficulty breathing due to heat, stifle; to suffocate by drowning, drown”) [and other forms]; further etymology uncertain. Also found in Middle English forstyflyd (“stifled, choked”, past participle). Perhaps derived from Middle English stuffen (“to kill by suffocation; to stifle from heat; to extinguish, suppress (body heat, breath, humour, etc.); to deprive a plant of the conditions necessary for growth, choke”) + -len (frequentative suffix). Stuffen is derived from Old French estofer, estouffer (“to choke, strangle, suffocate; (figuratively) to inhibit, prevent”) [and other forms] (modern French étouffer), a variant of estoper, estuper (“to block, plug, stop up; to stiffen, thicken”) (modern French étouper (“to caulk”)), influenced by estofer (“to pad, stuff; to upholster”) (modern French étoffer). Estoper is derived from Vulgar Latin *stuppāre, from Latin stuppa (“coarse flax, tow”) (as a stuffing material; from Ancient Greek στύπη (stúpē), στύππη (stúppē) (compare στυππεῖον (stuppeîon)); probably from Pre-Greek) + -āre. According to the Oxford English Dictionary a derivation from Old Norse stífla (“to dam; to choke, stop up”) “appears untenable on the ground both of form and sense”. The noun is derived from the verb.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Vulgar Latin
Full word history & related roots →stifle · noun, verb
- Old Frenchestive“leg”
- Anglo-Normanestive“leg”
- Middle Englishstifle“joint between the femur and tibia of a quadruped”
- Englishstifle
The noun is derived from Middle English stifle (“joint between the femur and tibia of a quadruped”) [and other forms]; further etymology uncertain, probably derived from Anglo-Norman estive (“leg”), and Old French estive (“leg”) (compare Old French estival (“boot, shoe”)). The verb is derived from the noun.
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian душа, задушавам
- душа (duša)to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- задушавам (zadušavam)to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- удушавам (udušavam)to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- задушавам (zadušavam)to cause (someone) difficulty in breathing, or a choking or gagging feeling
- потискам (potiskam)to prevent (a breath, cough, or cry, or the voice, etc.) from being released from the throat
- заглушавам (zaglušavam)to make (something) unable to be heard by blocking it with some medium
- потушавам (potušavam)to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- задушавам се (zadušavam se)to die of suffocation
- задъхвам се (zadăhvam se)to feel smothered
Chinese Mandarin 壓抑 /压抑
- 壓抑 /压抑 (yāyì)to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
Czech dusit, udusit
- dusitto make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- udusitto make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- dusitto cause (someone) difficulty in breathing, or a choking or gagging feeling
- potlačitto prevent (a breath, cough, or cry, or the voice, etc.) from being released from the throat
- zadusitto prevent (a breath, cough, or cry, or the voice, etc.) from being released from the throat
- přemocito prevent (a breath, cough, or cry, or the voice, etc.) from being released from the throat
- dusitto prevent (a breath, cough, or cry, or the voice, etc.) from being released from the throat
- potlačitto make (something) unable to be heard by blocking it with some medium
- zadusitto make (something) unable to be heard by blocking it with some medium
- zahlušitto make (something) unable to be heard by blocking it with some medium
- potlačitto keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- udusit seto die of suffocation
Danish kvæle
- kvæleto make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
Dutch verstikken, versmoren
- verstikkento make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- versmorento make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- onderdrukkento keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- stikkento die of suffocation
Finnish tukehduttaa, tukahduttaa
- tukehduttaato make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- tukahduttaato keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- vaimentaato keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- tukehtuato die of suffocation
- tukahtuato feel smothered
- polvijoint between the femur and tibia in the hind leg of various four-legged mammals, especially horses
- takapolvijoint between the femur and tibia in the hind leg of various four-legged mammals, especially horses
French étouffer, étouffer
- étoufferto make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- étoufferto prevent (a breath, cough, or cry, or the voice, etc.) from being released from the throat
- étoufferto make (something) unable to be heard by blocking it with some medium
- réprimerto keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- suffoquerto die of suffocation
- grassetjoint between the femur and tibia in the hind leg of various four-legged mammals, especially horses
German erdrücken, ersticken
- erdrückento make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- erstickento make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- unterdrückento prevent (a breath, cough, or cry, or the voice, etc.) from being released from the throat
- unterdrückento keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- erstickento die of suffocation
Hungarian megfojt, elfojt
- megfojtto make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- elfojtto keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- megfulladto die of suffocation
Irish plúch
- plúchto make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
Italian soffocare, boccheggiare
- soffocareto make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- boccheggiareto make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- soffocareto keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- reprimereto keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- trattenereto keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- affogareto keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- asfissiareto die of suffocation
- soffocareto die of suffocation
- boccheggiareto feel smothered
- grassellajoint between the femur and tibia in the hind leg of various four-legged mammals, especially horses
Japanese 窒息させる, 抑圧する
- 窒息させる (chissoku saseru)to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- 抑圧する (yokuatsu suru)to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- 消す. 静める (kesu)to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- もみ消す (momikesu)to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- 抑える (osaeru)to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- 噛み殺す (kamikorosu)to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- 窒息する (chissoku suru)to die of suffocation
- 窒息しそう (chissoku shisou)to feel smothered
Latin suffōcō
- suffōcōto make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
Lithuanian slopinti
- slopintito keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
Māori tāmi, tātāmi
- tāmito make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- tātāmito make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- nanatito keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- natito keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- whakakōmauto keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- whakapongereto keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- tāmoeto keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
Portuguese sufocar, reprimir
- sufocarto make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- reprimirto keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- sufocarto die of suffocation
- curvejãojoint between the femur and tibia in the hind leg of various four-legged mammals, especially horses
- jarretejoint between the femur and tibia in the hind leg of various four-legged mammals, especially horses
Russian души́ть, задуши́ть
- души́ть (dušítʹ)to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- задуши́ть (zadušítʹ)to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- подавля́ть (podavljátʹ)to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- подави́ть (podavítʹ)to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- задыха́ться (zadyxátʹsja)to die of suffocation
- задохну́ться (zadoxnútʹsja)to die of suffocation
- задыха́ться (zadyxátʹsja)to feel smothered
- задохну́ться (zadoxnútʹsja)to feel smothered
Slovak dusiť, udusiť
- dusiťto make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- udusiťto make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
Spanish sofocar, reprimir
- sofocarto make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- reprimirto keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- sofocarto keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- afogarto keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- suprimirto keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- asfixiarseto die of suffocation
- babillajoint between the femur and tibia in the hind leg of various four-legged mammals, especially horses
Swedish stävja, kväva
- stävjato make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- kvävato make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- dämpato keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- stävjato keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- tillbakahållato keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- undertryckato keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- kvävasto die of suffocation
Turkish bastırmak, boğulmak
- bastırmakto make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- boğulmakto make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate
- tutmakto keep in, hold back, or repress (something)
- boğulmakto die of suffocation
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with stifle
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
stifle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stifle
“stifle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stifle. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stifle,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stifle.
Source: stifle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.