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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

suffocate en · ADJ

Pronunciation

  • /ˈsʌfəkət/
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈsʌfəkeɪt/

Etymology

The adjective is first attested in the 1420s, the verb in 1526; from Middle English suffocat(e) (“deprived of air, suffocated”), borrowed from Latin suffōcātus, the perfect passive participle of Latin suffōcō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from sub- (“under, up to”) + fōx (“throat”, oblique stem in fōc-). Participial usage up until Early Modern English.

Meanings

  1. (as a participle, obsolete) Suffocated, choked.
  2. (obsolete) Smothered, overwhelmed.
    • This chaos, when degree is suffocate, follows the choking c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
most suffocate Degree=Sup lexicographic
more suffocate Degree=Cmp lexicographic

wikipedia: Early Modern English

suffocate en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈsʌfəkeɪt/

Etymology

The adjective is first attested in the 1420s, the verb in 1526; from Middle English suffocat(e) (“deprived of air, suffocated”), borrowed from Latin suffōcātus, the perfect passive participle of Latin suffōcō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from sub- (“under, up to”) + fōx (“throat”, oblique stem in fōc-). Participial usage up until Early Modern English.

Meanings

  1. (ergative) To suffer, or cause someone to suffer, from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body.
    • Open the hatch, he is suffocating in the airlock!
    • It is because of freedom, one netizen replied: Like air, you may not realize its importance, but when suffocating, you would know how precious it is. 2020 November 2, Jiu Xiao, “Chinese Communist Party Officials Push Anti-U.S. Propaganda While Sending Families to Live in the U.S.”, in Minghui:
  2. (ergative) To die due to, or kill someone by means of, insufficient oxygen supply to the body.
    • Let not hemp his windpipe suffocate. 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene vi]:
    • He suffocated his wife by holding a pillow over her head.
  3. (ergative, figuratively) To overwhelm, or be overwhelmed (by a person or issue), as though with oxygen deprivation.
    • I'm suffocating under this huge workload.
    • If the trend to private cars continues, the more quickly will the road traffic suffocate itself, [...]. 1962 April, “London Airport rail link”, in Modern Railways, page 222:
  4. (transitive) To destroy; to extinguish.
    • to suffocate fire

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
suffocating Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
suffocates Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
suffocated Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
suffocated Tense=Past lexicographic

Deriveds

suffocation · suffocative · smothercate · unsuffocate · suffocater · suffocator

Relateds

asphyxia

Synonyms

asphyxiate (To kill by deprivation of oxygen) · asphyxiate (To suffer from reduced oxygen) · choke (To suffer from reduced oxygen) · stifle (To kill by deprivation of oxygen) · asphyxiate (To reduce oxygen supply) · drown (To be overwhelmed) · choke (To kill by deprivation of oxygen) · stifle (To die from insufficient oxygen) · smother (To reduce oxygen supply) · choke (To reduce oxygen supply) · smother (To make weary with contact) · choke (To die from insufficient oxygen)

Translations (195)

uk удуши́ти ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · sh угу́шити ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · bg уду́швам ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · be душы́ць ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · pl udusić ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · fi tukehtua ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · sh угу́шити се ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · hu megfullad ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · uk задихну́тися ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · pl dusić ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · lt uždusinti ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · uk задихну́тися ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · eo sufokiĝi ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · pt sufocar ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · hsb dusyć ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · lmo stofegar ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · cs dusit se ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · fr étouffer ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · vec sofegar ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · be удушы́ць ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · rue подусити ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · ca ofegar ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · pl dusić się ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · mba nalumos ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · he נחנק ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · ru души́ть ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · pt sufocar ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · got 𐌰𐍆𐍈𐌰𐍀𐌾𐌰𐌽 ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · de ersticken ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · fi tukehduttaa ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · be затхну́цца ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · sk udusiť sa ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · enm worien ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · sl zadušiti se ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · ar اِخْتَنَقَ ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · ko 질식하다 ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · bg задуша́вам ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · pl udusić się ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · sh ugušívati ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · be удушы́ць ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · sl dušiti se ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · gl esganar ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · dsb póddušyś ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · bg задуша́вам ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · be задушы́ць ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · vi ngạt thở ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · lmo stofegar ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · lmo sofegar ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · pt sufocar ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · be прыдушы́ць ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · cs dusit ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · es sofocarse ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · sh ugúšiti se ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · da kvæle ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · ru задохну́ться ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · da kvæles ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · vi chết ngộp ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · no kjøva ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · uk задуши́ти ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · bg задъ́хам се ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · sh ugúšiti ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · qu hiq'ipay ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · cmn 使窒息 ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · fi tukehduttaa ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · eo sufoki ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · he חנק ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · be зато́хнуцца ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · sk udusiť ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · cs dusit ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · bg уду́швам ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · lmo sofegar ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · de ersticken ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · az boğmaq ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · ca ofegar-se ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · tyz bắt ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · cs udusit ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · tyz((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · no kjøvast ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · cs udusit se ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · bg задуша́ се ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · ru удуши́ть ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · acw انخنق ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · cs udusit ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · az boğmaq ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · sk dusiť sa ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · ru задыха́ться ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · bg задуша́вам се ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · tyz ngằn ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · be зато́хнуцца ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · gl afogar ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · he חנק ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · gl abafar ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · uk задиха́тися ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · pl dusić ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · uk души́ти ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · gl sufocar ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · enm worien ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · uk задуши́ти ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · bg задуша́ ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · hu fullad ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · ko 질식시키다 ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · mk гуши ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · sv kvävas ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · mk се души ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · pt sufocar ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · sl dušiti ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · cmn 窒息 ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · lmo sofegar ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · hsb dodusyć ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · be затыха́цца ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · lmo sofegar ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · be задушы́ць ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · vi ngộp thở ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · ru задохну́ться ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · fi tukehtua ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · gl atafegar ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · mk души ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · be душы́ць ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · lmo soffegà ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · sh угуши́вати се ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · es sofocar ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · mk задушува ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · ceb lumos ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · ru души́ть ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · kea bafa ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · lmo stofegar ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · da kvæle ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · es sofocarse ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · ota بوغمق ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · fr suffoquer ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · sl zadušiti se ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · ru задуши́ть ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · mk се гуши ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · ca ofegar sufocar ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · da kvæles ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · ga plúch ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · de ersticken ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · ga plúch ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · uk задиха́тися ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · cs dusit se ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · sk Slovak podusiť ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · lmo stofegar ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · uk удуши́ти ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · is kafna ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · cs zadusit ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · hu fuldoklik ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · gl sufocar ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · gl atafegar ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · be затыха́цца ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · nb kveles ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · vi ngộp ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · cs udusit se ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · ru задуши́ть ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · gl abafar ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · hu megfojt ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · lt uždusti ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · be прыдушы́ць ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · mk задуши ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · ar خَنَقَ ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · vi chết ngạt ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · bg задушавам се ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · de würgen ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · ru удуши́ть ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · fo kódna ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · sk zadusiť ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · bg задуша́ ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · fr suffoquer ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · hsb podusyć ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · ru задыха́ться ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · lt uždusti ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · vi ngạt ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · la suffōcō ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · he נחנק ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · acw خَنَق ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · de ersticken ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · bg задъ́хвам се ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · ja 窒息させる ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · uk души́ти ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · sv kvävas ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · lad atabafar ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · cs zadusit ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · es sofocar ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · sv kväva ((transitive) to kill someone by depriving him of a sufficient oxygen intake) · gl afogar ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · sk dusiť ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · tyz bỉ ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · la suffōcor ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · sh угуши́вати ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · sv kväva ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · fa خفه شدن ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · sh ugušívati se ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · ja 窒息する ((intransitive) to suffer from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body) · dsb zadušyś ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body) · be затхну́цца ((intransitive) to die due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body) · ceb lumos ((transitive) to cause someone to suffer severely reduced oxygen supply to his body)

wikipedia: Early Modern English