Meaning & use
Suffocation
Last updated
The state of being unable to breathe because of a lack of air or an obstruction to breathing.
See it in a sentence
The firefighters rescued the family from suffocation before the smoke could fill the room.
The coroner ruled that the cause of death was suffocation.
A note on using this word
Suffocation can be literal, involving lack of oxygen, or figurative, describing an overwhelming or stifling situation, as in 'the suffocation of small-town gossip.'
Words with a similar meaning
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