noun, verb ·3 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   The act by which someone or something is smothered.

   "I do hope there will be no oniony and tobaccoey smotherings in the form of embracings all round, going on in the streets."

Verb

1. 1
   present participle and gerund of smother form-of, gerund, participle, present

Adjective

1. 1
   causing difficulty in breathing especially through lack of fresh air and presence of heat wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

asphyxiationbamboo curtainblackoutcensorshipchokechoking

Example

More examples

"It was difficult to restrain myself from smothering Tom."

Etymology

From Middle English smorþering.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.