smother

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈsməðər/ UK /ˈsmʌðə/ See IPA manual

Freq #19417

Meanings

1

verb
deprive of the oxygen necessary for combustion

Smother fires.
2

verb
deprive of oxygen and prevent from breathing

Othello smothered Desdemona with a pillow.
3

verb
form an impenetrable cover over

The butter cream smothered the cake.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · deprive of the oxygen... put out

2 verb · deprive of oxygen and... asphyxiate suffocate

More extinguish stifle overprotect

Opposites

kindle

Word family

Forms smotheredsmotheringsmotherssmothery

Derived forms smother-flysmotherablesmotherationsmothercatesmotherersmotheringlysmotheryunsmotherunsmothered

Related forms smotheriness

Etymology

From Middle English smothren, smortheren, alteration (due to smother, smorther (“a suffocating vapour, dense smoke”, noun)) of Middle English smoren (“to smother”), from Old English smorian (“to smother, suffocate, choke”), from Proto-Germanic *smurōną (“to suffocate, strangle”), probably related to *smallijan (“to burn”) or Old English smoca (“smoke”). Cognate with Middle Low German smoren, smurten (“to choke, suffocate”), West Flemish smoren (“to smoke, reek”), Dutch smoren (“to suffocate, smother", also "to stew, simmer”), German schmoren (“to stew, simmer, braise”).

smothren Middle English smoren Middle English smorian Old English *smurōną Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# smother

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈsməðər/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈsmʌðə/
**Frequency rank:** 19417

## Meanings
1. deprive of the oxygen necessary for combustion
2. deprive of oxygen and prevent from breathing
3. form an impenetrable cover over

## Examples
- Smother fires.
- Othello smothered Desdemona with a pillow.
- The butter cream smothered the cake.

## Synonyms
- put out
- asphyxiate
- suffocate
- extinguish
- stifle
- overprotect

## Antonyms
- kindle

## Derived Forms
- smother-fly
- smotherable
- smotheration
- smothercate
- smotherer
- smotheringly
- smothery
- unsmother
- unsmothered

## Related Forms
- smotheriness

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: smothren
- Root: smoren
- Root: smorian
- Root: *smurōną

## Etymology
From Middle English smothren, smortheren, alteration (due to smother, smorther (“a suffocating vapour, dense smoke”, noun)) of Middle English smoren (“to smother”), from Old English smorian (“to smother, suffocate, choke”), from Proto-Germanic *smurōną (“to suffocate, strangle”), probably related to *smallijan (“to burn”) or Old English smoca (“smoke”). Cognate with Middle Low German smoren, smurten (“to choke, suffocate”), West Flemish smoren (“to smoke, reek”), Dutch smoren (“to suffocate, smother", also "to stew, simmer”), German schmoren (“to stew, simmer, braise”).

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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