Meaning & use
Suffocating
Last updated
Causing difficulty breathing, or figuratively, creating an oppressive or overwhelming atmosphere.
See it in a sentence
The suffocating heat in the crowded subway car made several passengers feel faint.
She felt trapped by her parents' suffocating expectations.
A note on using this word
From Latin "suffocare," meaning "to choke," the word is used both literally, for lack of air, and figuratively, for overwhelming control or pressure.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
liberating
Another way to use it
2. verb
Depriving of the ability to breathe.
Thick smoke was suffocating the trapped firefighters.
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