stifled
/ˈstaɪfəld/
adjective
- Feeling or expressing that one's natural feelings or actions are being held back or suppressed.
- She let out a stifled cry when she heard the bad news.
- He felt stifled in his small town and dreamed of moving to a big city.
- The stifled laughter in the classroom showed the students were trying not to giggle.
- Describing a sound that is muffled or not fully expressed because it is being held back.
- A stifled cough came from the back of the theater during the quiet scene.
- The stifled scream from the next room made everyone freeze.
- His stifled sob was barely audible over the rain.
Synonyms
verb
- Past tense of stifle: prevented someone from breathing or made it difficult to breathe.
- The thick smoke stifled the firefighters as they entered the burning building.
- He stifled a yawn during the long meeting.
- The pillow stifled her cries so no one could hear.