suffocate

C2+ Topic:Cause, Change & Process

US /ˈsʌfəkeɪt/ UK /ˈsʌfəkeɪt/ See IPA manual

verb

Meanings

1

verb
to die or cause to die from lack of air or inability to breathe

Thick smoke threatened to suffocate the trapped residents.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to die or cause to die from... smother asphyxiate stifle choke strangle throttle

Opposites

revive resuscitate ventilate

Word family

Forms suffocation

Derived forms suffocationsuffocatingsuffocative

Related forms faucal

Etymology

From Latin suffōcāre ('to choke, stifle'), from sub- ('under') + faucēs ('throat, gullet'), literally 'to constrict beneath the throat'.

sub Latin faucēs Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Cause, Change & Process Word Formation & Derivatives

# suffocate

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

## Meanings
1. to die or cause to die from lack of air or inability to breathe

## Examples
- Thick smoke threatened to suffocate the trapped residents.

## Synonyms
- smother
- asphyxiate
- stifle
- choke
- strangle
- throttle

## Antonyms
- revive
- resuscitate
- ventilate

## Derived Forms
- suffocation
- suffocating
- suffocative

## Related Forms
- faucal

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: sub
- Root: faucēs

## Etymology
From Latin suffōcāre ('to choke, stifle'), from sub- ('under') + faucēs ('throat, gullet'), literally 'to constrict beneath the throat'.

## AI Etymology
Suffocate is from Latin suffōcāre ('to choke, stifle'), from sub- ('under') + faucēs ('throat, gullet'), literally 'to constrict beneath the throat'. Important recorded forms include sub (Latin) and faucēs (Latin). Morphologically, the sub- element contributes the sense of under, below, secondary status, or movement from beneath, with the base naming the field of application. The modern sense continues the older lexical line without requiring a separate origin. In current use it covers to die or cause to die from lack of air or inability to breathe. The wider family includes derived forms such as suffocation, suffocating, and suffocative and related words such as faucal.

## Topics
- Cause, Change & Process
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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suffocate

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