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to stifle
01
to die or struggle for breath due to a lack of oxygen
Intransitive
Examples
The closed room made him feel like he would stifle without fresh air.
02
to suppress, restrain, or hinder the growth, development, or intensity of something
Transitive: to stifle development of something
Grammatical Information
Composition
Simple
Action verb
Regular
Present tense
stifle
3rd person singular
stifles
Present participle
stifling
Past simple
stifled
Past participle
stifled
Examples
The strict rules and regulations served to stifle creativity and innovation within the organization.
03
to hold back or prevent oneself from expressing a reaction or acting on a feeling or emotion
Transitive: to stifle a reaction or emotion
Examples
She stifled her laughter during the serious meeting.
04
to make someone unable to breathe properly, often by blocking their airway
Transitive: to stifle sb
Examples
The smoke from the fire stifled them, making it hard to breathe.
Stifle
01
the joint connecting the femur and tibia in a quadruped
Grammatical Information
Animacy status
Inanimate
Composition
Simple
Countable
Plural form
stifles
Examples
The horse injured its stifle while jumping over the fence.
Lexical Tree
stifled
stifler
stifling
stifle
