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1. Characterized by oppressive heat and humidity
   "the stifling atmosphere";
   - sultry, sulfurous [N. Amer], sulphurous [Brit, Cdn], sulphureous [Brit]

1. Forceful prevention; putting down by power or authority
   "the stifling of all dissent";
   - suppression, crushing, quelling

1. Suppress in order to conceal or hide
   "stifle a yawn";
   - smother, strangle, muffle, repress
    
2. Suppress or constrain so as to lessen in intensity
   "Stifle your curiosity";
   - dampen
    
3. Impair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of
   "The foul air was slowly stifling the children";
   - suffocate, asphyxiate, choke
    
4. Be asphyxiated; die from lack of oxygen
   "The child stifled under the pillow";
   - suffocate, asphyxiate

Derived forms: stiflings

See also: hot

Type of: bar, block, bottle up, buy the farm [N. Amer, informal], cash in [informal], cash in one's chips [informal], choke, close up, conk [informal], cop it [Brit, informal], croak [informal], decease [archaic], die, drop dead, exit, expire, flatline [informal], give-up the ghost [informal], go, impede, inhibit, jam, kick the bucket [informal], obstruct, obturate, occlude, pass, pass away, perish, pop off [informal], pop one's clogs [informal], prevention, snuff it [informal], suppress

Antonym: stimulate

Encyclopedia: Stifle