What does "choking" mean?
The process in which a person's airway becomes blocked, resulting in asphyxia in cases that are not treated promptly.
Choking
/ˈtʃəʊkɪŋ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The process in which a person's airway becomes blocked, resulting in asphyxia in cases that are not treated promptly.
- Grammar: choking is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abolishment, abolition, airway obstruction, annihilation.
- Useful contrasts: breathable, breathe, composed.
- Usage evidence: People were choking on the gas.
How to use "choking"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "choking" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "choking" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "choking" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "choking" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "choking" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abolishment" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "choking", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The process in which a person's airway becomes blocked, resulting in asphyxia in cases that are not treated promptly. countable, uncountable
"In the last 6 years, there has been a great effort to educate the public concerning the prevention of choking due to accidental aspiration of foods or small objects by children."
- 2 the act of suffocating (someone) by constricting the windpipe wordnet
- 3 The act of coughing when a person finds it difficult to breathe. countable, uncountable
"Putting the latter on her head and the former on the table, the old woman, after telling Oliver that she had come to sit up with him, drew her chair close to the fire and went off into a series of short naps, chequered at frequent intervals with sundry tumblings forward, and divers moans and chokings."
- 4 a condition caused by blocking the airways to the lungs (as with food or swelling of the larynx) wordnet
- 5 The act of trying to kill a person by strangulation. countable, uncountable
"She tells of many chokings and blows inflicted by the defendant, and says her health was thereby affected and, presumably, her life endangered."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 The result of something being choked. countable, uncountable
"This feature has been found effective in reducing injector trouble, resulting either from the clogging of sieves or the choking of the annular orifices of the injectors by fine particles of coal."
Verb
- 1 present participle and gerund of choke form-of, gerund, participle, present
Adjective
- 1 causing difficulty in breathing especially through lack of fresh air and presence of heat wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"People were choking on the gas."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "choking"?
Common synonyms include: abolishment, abolition, airway obstruction, annihilation, annulment, asphyxia.
How do you use "choking" in a sentence?
People were choking on the gas.
How do you pronounce "choking"?
Pronounced /ˈtʃəʊkɪŋ/.
Etymology
By surface analysis, choke + -ing.