stifle

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈstaɪfəl/ UK /ˈstaɪfl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to suppress, smother, or prevent from happening

She tried to stifle a yawn during the speech.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to suppress, smother, or... suppress smother quell stem muffle repress choke suffocate

Opposites

release encourage foster express ventilate

Word family

Derived forms stiflingstifler

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

stifle a cry
muffle or choke back a cry

Verb + noun

Simplified etymology

Stifle dates from late Middle English and probably comes from the same Old French root as stew, associated with a hot or steam bath. That root is traced, though uncertainly, to Greek tuphos, meaning smoke or steam.

Etymology

Late Middle English, perhaps an alteration of Old French 'estouffer', to smother, choke, or of Scandinavian origin (compare Old Norse 'stífla', to dam up, stop).

estouffer Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# stifle

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈstaɪfəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈstaɪfl/

## Meanings
1. to suppress, smother, or prevent from happening

## Examples
- She tried to stifle a yawn during the speech.

## Synonyms
- suppress
- smother
- quell
- stem
- muffle
- repress
- choke
- suffocate

## Antonyms
- release
- encourage
- foster
- express
- ventilate

## Derived Forms
- stifling
- stifler

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: estouffer

## Etymology
Late Middle English, perhaps an alteration of Old French 'estouffer', to smother, choke, or of Scandinavian origin (compare Old Norse 'stífla', to dam up, stop).

## AI Etymology
Stifle is late Middle English, perhaps an alteration of Old French 'estouffer', to smother, choke, or of Scandinavian origin (compare Old Norse 'stífla', to dam up, stop). Important recorded forms include estouffer (Old French). Its deeper history remains uncertain, with proposed links left as possibilities rather than a single settled derivation. The current sense covers to suppress, smother, or prevent from happening. The wider family includes derived forms such as stifling and stifler.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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