étouffer

suffocate

verb eh-too-FEH Less Common

Also means

stifle

Usage Note

Étouffer describes both physical suffocation and figurative suppression, as in étouffer un scandale ('to hush up a scandal') or étouffer un cri ('to stifle a cry'). The related noun étouffement means 'suffocation' or 'stifling heat'. In Cajun/Creole cuisine, étouffée (the past participle) names a dish cooked in a smothered, covered style.

Examples

"La fumée m'étouffait."

Natural Translation

The smoke was suffocating me.

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