Smother
verb
To cause to stop breathing by covering the nose and mouth or filling the lungs.
The fireman warned that the smoke could smother people in the building.
Often appears as...
- smother with a pillow
- smother in sleep
verb
To cover something completely.
She smothered her fries in ketchup.
Often appears as...
- smother with ketchup
- smother with love
verb
To give too much love or attention, which becomes annoying or uncomfortable for someone.
She smothered him with concern to the point that he felt overwhelmed.
Often appears as...
- smother with care
- smother with attention
verb
To prevent or suppress something from being seen, heard or expressed.
The government attempted to smother the news of the rebellion.
Often appears as...
- smother the news
- smother the truth
Usage tips
Formal
verb
To cause to stop breathing by covering the nose and mouth or filling the lungs.
The fireman warned that the smoke could smother people in the building.
Often appears as...
- smother with a pillow
- smother in sleep
verb
To cover something completely.
She smothered her fries in ketchup.
Often appears as...
- smother with ketchup
- smother with love
verb
To give too much love or attention, which becomes annoying or uncomfortable for someone.
She smothered him with concern to the point that he felt overwhelmed.
Often appears as...
- smother with care
- smother with attention
verb
To prevent or suppress something from being seen, heard or expressed.
The government attempted to smother the news of the rebellion.
Often appears as...
- smother the news
- smother the truth
Usage tips
Formal
Definition 1 of 4
Pro Tip 1/2Life-threatening Context
Use 'smother' when describing situations where breath is cut off, often as a life-threatening event.
During the collapse of the building, dust threatened to smother the trapped victims.
Pro Tip 2/2Not Always Intentional
'Smother' can imply an accidental situation, not necessarily a deliberate act.
Pillows and blankets can accidentally smother a baby if not positioned safely.
Pro Tip 1/2Life-threatening Context
Use 'smother' when describing situations where breath is cut off, often as a life-threatening event.
During the collapse of the building, dust threatened to smother the trapped victims.
Pro Tip 2/2Not Always Intentional
'Smother' can imply an accidental situation, not necessarily a deliberate act.
Pillows and blankets can accidentally smother a baby if not positioned safely.
Pro Tip 1/2Life-threatening Context
Use 'smother' when describing situations where breath is cut off, often as a life-threatening event.
During the collapse of the building, dust threatened to smother the trapped victims.
Pro Tip 2/2Not Always Intentional
'Smother' can imply an accidental situation, not necessarily a deliberate act.
Pillows and blankets can accidentally smother a baby if not positioned safely.
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Video examples
Life at 30,000 feet PIPE...
they're too coddled, they don't know what they've got, we're going to raise a generation of privileged No, I think if you're bringing up kids, you just want to smother them with love and praise and enthusiasm. So I don't think you can mollycoddle your kids too much really.
Video examples
The case against "good"...
reside two deceitful offerings that smother the truth. These words are liars. These words must be stopped. Remove them from our language so that honesty can return to our communication. Ladies and gentlemen, if I say to you that you have been a good jury,
Video examples
Machine intelligence...
The machine made this decision for us. A very important but difficult conversation might have been smothered, had Facebook been the only channel. Now, finally, these systems can also be wrong
Video examples
These Sticky Traps Are...
once an insect becomes stuck nearby glandular hairs coil around and smother their prey the plant then releases enzymes which aid the slow digestion of its victim
Video examples
ONE HOUR Of Amazing...
plan a is to smother the prey with the metal trap in the way that's not too successful but that huge brain helps the octopus to
Video examples
Baby Penguin Escapes...
they block the father's path at every turn as his chick gets smothered by admirers there's nothing he can do
Video examples
Best Of Ants PIPE BBC Earth
they smother their prey but the slug has a trick up its sleeve it may be slow but it's well protected
Video examples
Best of Tiny Animals PIPE...
they smother their prey but the slug has a trick up its sleeve it may be slow but it's well protected
Video examples
Ants Devour Slug Alive!...
they smother their prey but the slug has a trick up its sleeve it may be slow but it's well protected
Video examples
Sea "Mucus" Blobs Pose...
blobs can sink to the seafloor acting like a blanket and smothering life at the bottom
Video examples
Life at 30,000 feet PIPE...
they're too coddled, they don't know what they've got, we're going to raise a generation of privileged No, I think if you're bringing up kids, you just want to smother them with love and praise and enthusiasm. So I don't think you can mollycoddle your kids too much really.
Video examples
The case against "good"...
reside two deceitful offerings that smother the truth. These words are liars. These words must be stopped. Remove them from our language so that honesty can return to our communication. Ladies and gentlemen, if I say to you that you have been a good jury,
Video examples
Machine intelligence...
The machine made this decision for us. A very important but difficult conversation might have been smothered, had Facebook been the only channel. Now, finally, these systems can also be wrong
Video examples
These Sticky Traps Are...
once an insect becomes stuck nearby glandular hairs coil around and smother their prey the plant then releases enzymes which aid the slow digestion of its victim
Video examples
ONE HOUR Of Amazing...
plan a is to smother the prey with the metal trap in the way that's not too successful but that huge brain helps the octopus to
Video examples
Baby Penguin Escapes...
they block the father's path at every turn as his chick gets smothered by admirers there's nothing he can do
Video examples
Best Of Ants PIPE BBC Earth
they smother their prey but the slug has a trick up its sleeve it may be slow but it's well protected
Video examples
Best of Tiny Animals PIPE...
they smother their prey but the slug has a trick up its sleeve it may be slow but it's well protected
Video examples
Ants Devour Slug Alive!...
they smother their prey but the slug has a trick up its sleeve it may be slow but it's well protected
Video examples
Sea "Mucus" Blobs Pose...
blobs can sink to the seafloor acting like a blanket and smothering life at the bottom
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Roman Reigns
American Wrestler
I try to live in the moment. When you're in a singles match, you're in there, and the guy's on top of you, and you're in a hold, and you're being smothered: You're in the fight at all times. But when we're doing these team fights, you have a little time to take in the moment and just absorb the energy of the crowd.
Quote examples
Fred Upton
American Politician
Americans want and deserve a broad array of health insurance choices so they can identify those that best fit their own individual or family needs. These choices expand when we allow free enterprise to foster innovation, not smother it with taxes and one-size fits all ideology.
Quote examples
Hugh Grant
English Actor
If you have a smothering parent, the effect it can apparently have on a child is to give them, in equal doses, a sense of too much self-esteem, because they are mummy's little princess or prince, and low self-esteem. It affects future relationships.
Quote examples
Betty Wright
American Musician
I've just learned that love is a very fleeting thing, so we - then we have it; we need to hold on to it but hold on to it in a gracious fashion. Not in the smothering but more so just a covering kind of love.
Quote examples
Mayim Bialik
American Actress
The fact is safe co-sleeping is not difficult. The notion of babies being smothered is simply not true. And the benefits of sleeping together are profound.
Quote examples
Chris Bosh
American Athlete
My favorite was always smothered pork chops. Smothered pork chops. That would be my request if I ever had one, and it was pretty consistent.
Quote examples
Edith Sitwell
British Poet
The poet speaks to all men of that other life of theirs that they have smothered and forgotten.
Quote examples
Katie Price
English Model
I like protective men, the type who'll put an arm around me so I can be smothered.
Quote examples
Dan Jenkins
American Author
I like to be entertained, not smothered with 'literary' riddles.
Quote examples
Leo Buscaglia
American Author
Don't smother each other. No one can grow in the shade.
Quote examples
Roman Reigns
American Wrestler
I try to live in the moment. When you're in a singles match, you're in there, and the guy's on top of you, and you're in a hold, and you're being smothered: You're in the fight at all times. But when we're doing these team fights, you have a little time to take in the moment and just absorb the energy of the crowd.
Quote examples
Fred Upton
American Politician
Americans want and deserve a broad array of health insurance choices so they can identify those that best fit their own individual or family needs. These choices expand when we allow free enterprise to foster innovation, not smother it with taxes and one-size fits all ideology.
Quote examples
Hugh Grant
English Actor
If you have a smothering parent, the effect it can apparently have on a child is to give them, in equal doses, a sense of too much self-esteem, because they are mummy's little princess or prince, and low self-esteem. It affects future relationships.
Quote examples
Betty Wright
American Musician
I've just learned that love is a very fleeting thing, so we - then we have it; we need to hold on to it but hold on to it in a gracious fashion. Not in the smothering but more so just a covering kind of love.
Quote examples
Mayim Bialik
American Actress
The fact is safe co-sleeping is not difficult. The notion of babies being smothered is simply not true. And the benefits of sleeping together are profound.
Quote examples
Chris Bosh
American Athlete
My favorite was always smothered pork chops. Smothered pork chops. That would be my request if I ever had one, and it was pretty consistent.
Quote examples
Edith Sitwell
British Poet
The poet speaks to all men of that other life of theirs that they have smothered and forgotten.
Quote examples
Katie Price
English Model
I like protective men, the type who'll put an arm around me so I can be smothered.
Quote examples
Dan Jenkins
American Author
I like to be entertained, not smothered with 'literary' riddles.
Quote examples
Leo Buscaglia
American Author
Don't smother each other. No one can grow in the shade.
Example 1 of 10
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