Asphyxiate

Pronunciation: /æsˈfɪk.si.eɪt/

Definitions of asphyxiate

verb to cause someone to stop breathing and die or to be unable to breathe

Example Sentences

A1 He was scared that he might asphyxiate if he put the plastic bag over his head.

A2 The firefighters arrived just in time to save the man from asphyxiating in the smoke-filled room.

B1 The doctor warned the patient that wearing a tight necktie could potentially asphyxiate him.

B2 The detective discovered that the victim had been asphyxiated with a pillow.

C1 The dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in the room could quickly asphyxiate anyone inside.

C2 The assassin used a rare poison to silently asphyxiate his target without leaving any evidence.

Examples of asphyxiate in a Sentence

formal The victim was found asphyxiated in their home.

informal Don't play with plastic bags over your head, you could asphyxiate!

slang I felt like I was gonna straight up asphyxiate in that stuffy room.

figurative The oppressive rules seemed to asphyxiate any creativity in the workplace.

Grammatical Forms of asphyxiate

• past tense: asphyxiated
• plural: asphyxiate
• comparative: more asphyxiated
• superlative: most asphyxiated
• present tense: asphyxiates
• future tense: will asphyxiate
• perfect tense: has asphyxiated
• continuous tense: is asphyxiating
• singular: asphyxiates
• positive degree: asphyxiate
• infinitive: to asphyxiate
• gerund: asphyxiating
• participle: asphyxiated

Origin and Evolution of asphyxiate

First Known Use: 1704 year

Language of Origin: Greek

Story behind the word: The word 'asphyxiate' originated from the Greek word 'asphyxia', meaning stopping of the pulse.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in medical contexts to describe the cessation of breathing or heartbeat due to lack of oxygen, the term 'asphyxiate' has evolved to also refer to the act of causing someone to stop breathing by restricting their air supply.