Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense stifles, present participle stifling, past tense, past participle stifled
1. verb
If someone stifles something you consider to be a good thing, they prevent it from continuing.
[disapproval]
Regulations on children stifled creativity. [VERB noun]
Critics have accused the U.S. of trying to stifle debate. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: suppress, repress, prevent, stop More Synonyms of stifle
2. verb
If you stifle a yawn or laugh, you prevent yourself from yawning or laughing.
She makes no attempt to stifle a yawn. [VERB noun]
His hand shot to his mouth to stifle a giggle. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: restrain, suppress, repress, smother More Synonyms of stifle
3. verb
If you stifle your natural feelings or behaviour, you prevent yourself from having those feelings or behaving in that way.
It is best to stifle curiosity and leave birds' nests alone. [VERB noun]
He stifled his temptation to take hold of Ivy and shake her. [VERB noun]
More Synonyms of stifle
stifle in British English1
(ˈstaɪfəl)
verb
1. (transitive)
to smother or suppress
stifle a cough
2.
to feel or cause to feel discomfort and difficulty in breathing
3.
to prevent or be prevented from breathing so as to cause death
4. (transitive)
to crush or stamp out
Derived forms
stifler (ˈstifler)
noun
Word origin
C14: variant of stuflen, probably from Old French estouffer to smother
stifle in British English2
(ˈstaɪfəl)
noun
the joint in the hind leg of a horse, dog, etc, between the femur and tibia
Word origin
C14: of unknown origin
stifle in American English1
(ˈstaɪfəl)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈstifled or ˈstifling
1.
to kill by cutting off the supply of air from; suffocate; smother; choke
2.
to suppress or repress; hold back; check, stop, inhibit, etc.
to stifle a sob, to stifle protests
verb intransitive
3.
to die from lack of air
4.
to suffer from lack of fresh, cool air
Derived forms
stifler (ˈstifler)
noun
Word origin
altered (prob. infl. by ON stīfla, to stop up: for IE base see stiff) < ME stuflen, freq. formation < MFr estouffer, to smother < VL *stuppare, to stuff up (see stop), infl. by *extufare, to quench, smother, steam, stew1
stifle in American English2
(ˈstaɪfəl)
noun
the kneelike joint above the hock in the hind leg of a horse, dog, etc.
: also stifle joint
Word origin
ME
Examples of 'stifle' in a sentence
stifle
The person who ran it was almost incomprehensible and we had difficulty stifling our giggles.
The Sun (2015)
Yet ministers oppose gene test regulation on the ground that this would stifle innovation.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
This is not about stifling artistic creativity.
The Sun (2010)
They stifle growth and offer no realistic prospect of a recovery.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Too hawkish an approach has undeniable costs by making capital more expensive and stifling innovation.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Some have said that there has been a kneejerk reaction towards programming that is stifling creativity.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
There is no doubt that unnecessary complexity can stifle growth.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Paying consultancies just for their time can stifle innovation and distort incentives.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Creativity is stifled and the lack of runners from midfield is pronounced.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Experts warn that the crisis is stifling economic growth.
The Sun (2013)
But neither should creativity be stifled by moral considerations.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Demand is down across the globe as the economic woes continue to stifle growth.
The Sun (2014)
The new deals are fiercely opposed by independent wholesalers, who say that they stifle competition.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
As soon as the band bounded on stage, the crowd struggled to stifle their giggles.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The DfID is stifling innovation and adding to the aid gravy train for huge multinational organisations.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
I stifle a giggle then jump on him.
The Sun (2016)
England are a stifling team.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The 11-year-old made no effort to stifle a wide yawn as she rocked forward in her chair and stared at the ground.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Sad to say, it's hard not to stifle a yawn.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
He glanced in, laughed, tried to stifle the laugh and went off to an important meeting.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Yet there is an alternative view which is that, rather than stifling competition, this deal could actually encourage it.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
All of the laughs are stifled by the insistent question: what is it you actually think you're laughing at?
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Take a look at the clip on my website and you'll see security helping him back to his feet, stifling their laughs.
The Sun (2009)
Staff had to stifle giggles when the star requested the alternative treatment - which involves flushing out the colon via a patient's bottom.
The Sun (2014)
In other languages
stifle
British English: stifle VERB
If someone stifles something you consider to be a good thing, they prevent it from continuing.
Too many regulations might stifle creativity.
American English: stifle
Brazilian Portuguese: sufocar
Chinese: 压制
European Spanish: reprimir
French: étouffer
German: unterdrücken
Italian: soffocare
Japanese: 妨害する
Korean: 억압하다
European Portuguese: sufocar
Latin American Spanish: reprimir
Chinese translation of 'stifle'
stifle
(ˈstaɪfl)
vt
[yawn, laugh]忍住 (rěnzhù)
[debate, creativity]抑制 (yìzhì)
1 (verb)
Definition
to stop (something) from continuing
Critics have accused them of trying to stifle debate.