verb
Meaning 1
To smother or suffocate someone.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
asphyxiate
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
-
/əsˈfɪksieɪt/
-
Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
-
CMU ARPABET: AE0 S F IH1 K S IY0 EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
verb
Meaning 2
To be smothered or suffocated.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
be asphyxiated; die from lack of oxygen
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- The child suffocated under the pillow
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: suffocate, stifle
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: die, decease, perish, go, exit, pass away, expire, pass, kick the bucket, cash in one's chips, buy the farm, conk, give-up the ghost, drop dead, pop off, choke, croak, snuff it
Narrower terms: strangle
verb
Meaning 4
impair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- The foul air was slowly suffocating the children
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: suffocate, stifle, choke
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: obstruct, obturate, impede, occlude, jam, block, close up
verb
Meaning 5
deprive of oxygen and prevent from breathing
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- Othello smothered Desdemona with a pillow
- The child suffocated herself with a plastic bag that the parents had left on the floor
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: smother, suffocate
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: kill
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English asphyxia Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh2tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātuslbor. English -ate English asphyxiate From asphyxia + -ate.
Across languages
Translations
43 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Azerbaijani: boğmaq — to smother or suffocate someone
- Catalan: sufocar — to smother or suffocate someone
- Faroese: kvala — to smother or suffocate someone
- Finnish: tukehduttaa — to smother or suffocate someone
- French: asphyxier — to smother or suffocate someone
- French: faire suffoquer — to smother or suffocate someone
- Gothic: 𐌰𐍆𐍈𐌰𐍀𐌾𐌰𐌽 (afƕapjan) — to smother or suffocate someone
- Hungarian: megfojt — to smother or suffocate someone
- Hungarian: megfullaszt — to smother or suffocate someone
- Hungarian: fojt — to smother or suffocate someone
- Hungarian: fullaszt — to smother or suffocate someone
- Irish: plúch — to smother or suffocate someone
- Italian: asfissiare — to smother or suffocate someone
- Italian: soffocare — to smother or suffocate someone
- Latin: suffōcō — to smother or suffocate someone
- Macedonian: угуши (uguši) — to smother or suffocate someone
- Māori: whakahēmanawa — to smother or suffocate someone
- Norman: asphyxier — to smother or suffocate someone
- Ottoman Turkish: بوغمق (boğmak) — to smother or suffocate someone
- Portuguese: sufocar — to smother or suffocate someone
- Russian: души́ть (dušítʹ) — to smother or suffocate someone
- Russian: задуши́ть (zadušítʹ) — to smother or suffocate someone
- Spanish: asfixiar — to smother or suffocate someone
- Spanish: sofocar — to smother or suffocate someone
- Turkish: boğmak — to smother or suffocate someone
- Azerbaijani: boğulmaq — to be smothered or suffocated
- Catalan: sufocar-se — to be smothered or suffocated
- Faroese: kódna — to be smothered or suffocated
- Faroese: kvalast — to be smothered or suffocated
- Faroese: køvast — to be smothered or suffocated
- Finnish: tukehtua — to be smothered or suffocated
- French: s'asphyxier — to be smothered or suffocated
- French: suffoquer — to be smothered or suffocated
- Hungarian: megfullad — to be smothered or suffocated
- Hungarian: fullad — to be smothered or suffocated
- Italian: soffocarsi — to be smothered or suffocated
- Latin: suffōcor — to be smothered or suffocated
- Norman: s'asphyxier — to be smothered or suffocated
- Portuguese: sufocar-se — to be smothered or suffocated
- Russian: задыха́ться (zadyxátʹsja) — to be smothered or suffocated
- Russian: задохну́ться (zadoxnútʹsja) — to be smothered or suffocated
- Spanish: asfixiarse — to be smothered or suffocated
- Spanish: sofocarse — to be smothered or suffocated