smother
verb /ˈsmʌðə(r)/
/ˈsmʌðər/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they smother | /ˈsmʌðə(r)/ /ˈsmʌðər/ |
| he / she / it smothers | /ˈsmʌðəz/ /ˈsmʌðərz/ |
| past simple smothered | /ˈsmʌðəd/ /ˈsmʌðərd/ |
| past participle smothered | /ˈsmʌðəd/ /ˈsmʌðərd/ |
| -ing form smothering | /ˈsmʌðərɪŋ/ /ˈsmʌðərɪŋ/ |
- smother somebody (with something) to kill somebody by covering their face so that they cannot breathe synonym suffocate
- He smothered the baby with a pillow.
- to be smothered to death
- smother something/somebody with/in something to cover something/somebody thickly or with too much of something
- a rich dessert smothered in cream
- She smothered him with kisses.
- Try our rich orange sorbet smothered in fluffy whipped cream and nuts.
- smother something to prevent something from developing or being expressed synonym stifle
- to smother a yawn/giggle/grin
- The voices of the opposition were effectively smothered.
- smother somebody to give somebody too much love or protection so that they feel that their freedom is limited
- Her husband was very loving, but she felt smothered.
- smother something to make a fire stop burning by covering it with something
- He tried to smother the flames with a blanket.
Word OriginMiddle English (as a noun in the sense ‘stifling smoke’): from the base of Old English smorian ‘suffocate’.