Synonyms of suffocating

suffocating 1 of 2

adjective

ˈsə-fə-ˌkā-tiŋ 

as in close

lacking fresh air

inside the bunker it was suffocating, and some of the men had already passed out

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

suffocating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of suffocate

1

as in strangling

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

the law requires the owner of a discarded refrigerator to remove its door so that a child won't get trapped inside and suffocate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

2

as in choking

to keep (someone) from breathing by exerting pressure on the windpipe

temporarily suffocated by the seat belt

Synonyms & Similar Words

• strangling
• choking
• throttling
• asphyxiating
• stifling
• smothering
• garroting
• scragging

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• restoring
• reviving
• resuscitating

3

as in vomiting

to experience complete or partial blockage of the windpipe

suffocating in the thick, black smoke of the burning building

Synonyms & Similar Words

• choking
• vomiting
• gagging
• stifling
• heaving
• smothering
• asphyxiating
• throwing up
• retching

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• breathing
• respiring
• expiring
• inspiring

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of suffocating

Adjective

Following a first week marked by a suffocating heatwave, relief finally arrived in Paris on Sunday, with temperatures dropping to 21 degrees C (70 F) around midday. — ABC News, 31 May 2026

This matchup features two ascendant young stars in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama (who finished first and third in MVP voting, respectively), exciting young talent, a legitimate regional rivalry and two suffocating defenses. — Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 18 May 2026

Verb

With a suffocating debt and pension load, and another looming budget deficit, Chicago cannot afford incoherence on this important fiscal and social issue. — Joe Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

Together, these effects have set the stage for the fierce summers, destructive wildfires, and suffocating heat domes that now threaten Europe’s health, culture, and economy. — Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026