🇮🇹Italian Source WordCode: IT

soffocare

Pronunciation / Transliteration: /sof.foˈka.re/

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Smother/ˈsmʌð.ər/
verbnounCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #4500 frequency
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🇮🇹 Example Sentence in Italian:

"Ha cercato di soffocare le fiamme con la sabbia."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As verb
  1. 1

    To suffocate someone by depriving them of oxygen or to extinguish a fire by covering it.

    "He tried to smother the campfire with a thick blanket of dirt."
  2. 2

    To cover something thickly or completely, or to stifle feelings or expression.

    "She loved to smother her pancakes in warm maple syrup."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from Middle English 'smotheren', related to Old English 'smorian' (to suffocate), stemming from a Proto-Germanic root. Over time, the meaning expanded from literal suffocation to metaphorical applications such as covering thickly or suppressing emotions.

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