释义 |
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024sti•fling /ˈstaɪflɪŋ/USA pronunciation adj. - causing difficulty in breathing;
stuffy:a stifling room.
having difficulty in breathing:I'm stifling in this overheated car. WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024sti•fling (stī′fling),USA pronunciation adj. - suffocating;
oppressively close:the stifling atmosphere of the cavern. sti′fling•ly, adv. WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024sti•fle1 /ˈstaɪfəl/USA pronunciation v. [~ + object], -fled, -fling. - to crush by force:to stifle a rebellion.
- to hold back, keep back, or withhold:I tried to stifle my laughter.
- to smother and kill (someone):The maniac stifled his victims with a pillow.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024sti•fle1 (stī′fəl),USA pronunciation v., -fled, -fling. v.t. - to quell, crush, or end by force:to stifle a revolt; to stifle free expression.
- to suppress, curb, or withhold:to stifle a yawn.
- to kill by impeding respiration;
smother. v.i. - to suffer from difficulty in breathing, as in a close atmosphere.
- to become stifled or suffocated.
- Old Norse stīfla to stop up, dam, akin to stīfr stiff
- Middle English 1350–1400
sti′fler, n. - 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged prevent, preclude, put down.
- 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged check.
- 3.See corresponding entry in Unabridged suffocate, strangle, choke.
- 1, 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged encourage.
sti•fle2 (stī′fəl),USA pronunciation n. - (in a horse or other quadruped) the joint between the femur and the tibia, corresponding anatomically to the human knee. Also called sti′fle joint′. See diag. under horse.
- ?
- Middle English 1275–1325
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: stifle /ˈstaɪfəl/ vb - (transitive) to smother or suppress: stifle a cough
- to feel or cause to feel discomfort and difficulty in breathing
- to prevent or be prevented from breathing so as to cause death
- (transitive) to crush or stamp out
Etymology: 14th Century: variant of stuflen, probably from Old French estouffer to smother |