🇬🇧 Suffocate meaning: English Vocabulary Flash Card

To cause someone or something to be unable to breathe because there’s not enough air, or something is blocking their nose and mouth. It can also mean feeling like you can’t breathe properly because of too much heat, tight spaces, or even too many pillows piled on your face!

I tried to hug my cat, but she acted like I was trying to suffocate her with love.

Mom says my gym bag smells like it’s trying to suffocate her every time she opens it.

I almost suffocated from embarrassment when my mom showed my baby photos to my friends.

Dad’s cologne was so strong, I thought I’d suffocate just walking past him.

I thought I’d suffocate in my winter coat because I couldn’t find the zipper to escape.

Smoke filled the small kitchen; the kitten under the towel began to suffocate. The child shouted, "Don't suffocate, don't suffocate!" and pulled the towel free. The kitten seemed to suffocate, coughed, tried again; the child held it up so it would not suffocate, blew air on its face, and finally the kitten opened its mouth and breathed. They wept.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

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