Synonyms of stifling

stifling 1 of 2

adjective

as in close

lacking fresh air

the lecture hall was stifling until we opened several windows

Synonyms & Similar Words

• close
• suffocating
• stuffy
• breathless
• thick
• oppressive
• heavy
• airless
• unventilated
• fuggy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• breezy
• airy
• refreshing
• sweet
• bracing
• reviving
• brisk
• restorative
• unstuffy
• invigorating
• ventilated
• refreshed

stifling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of stifle

1

as in strangling

to be or cause to be killed by lack of breathable air

unfortunately, the robbers were stifled when they got trapped in the airless bank vault

Synonyms & Similar Words

• strangling
• choking
• suffocating
• smothering
• drowning
• destroying
• asphyxiating
• throttling
• slaying
• garroting
• dispatching
• felling
• doing in
• croaking

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• breathing
• inhaling
• inspiring
• expiring
• exhaling
• reviving
• resuscitating

2

as in suppressing

to refrain from openly showing or uttering

stifled a yawn

Synonyms & Similar Words

• suppressing
• swallowing
• repressing
• controlling
• smothering
• strangling
• managing
• choking (back)
• containing
• holding back
• submerging
• sinking
• pocketing
• curbing
• governing
• quelling
• quashing
• checking
• muffling
• bridling
• squelching
• bottling up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• expressing
• venting
• releasing
• taking out
• unleashing
• loosing

3

as in muffling

to deaden the sound of

he stifled a cough with his hand

Synonyms & Similar Words

• muffling
• muting
• insulating
• softening
• padding
• mellowing
• baffling
• toning (down)
• smothering
• dampening
• subduing
• soundproofing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• increasing
• deepening
• enhancing
• strengthening
• unmuffling
• heightening
• amplifying
• boosting
• magnifying
• stepping up

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of stifling

Adjective

For all the deserved talk about the Knicks’ dynamic offense, the defense has been far more stifling than their reputation suggests. — Fred Katz, New York Times, 15 May 2026

Her mother, who had a staid upbringing in California, came to New York in the early sixties looking for someplace more diverse and less stifling. — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026

Verb

This prompted backlash from critics, who felt that the platforms were stifling free speech or putting their thumb on the scale politically. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 3 Aug. 2026

The recurring power outages combined with the stifling heat have created collective insomnia on the island as residents struggle to get through the night. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

The relaxed fit and open back allow air to flow through the dress, helping keep your body cool in the stifling heat. — Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 1 Aug. 2026

With the city hall's toilets out of order, officials erected emergency toilets over sewer manholes outside the building, in temperatures of around 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) and stifling humidity. — USA Today, 30 July 2026

Companies often measure past performance, stifling creativity and failing to predict future success. — Nir Bashan, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Unfortunately for them, passersby appeared to be much more concerned about the stifling 100-degree heat dome that settled over the city with particular ferocity. — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026

This is the third round of arrests linked to independent bookstores after similar operations in March and June that were widely seen as stifling dissent in the Asian financial hub. — Kanis Leung, Fortune, 16 July 2026

Odegaard’s composure and leadership on the ball enabled Norway to control possession for long stretches against England in the stifling heat of Miami. — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 16 July 2026