causing difficulty in breathing especially through lack of fresh air and presence of heat (Freq. 1) - the choking June dust - the smothering soft voices - smothering heat - the room was suffocating--hot and airless • Syn: suffocating, suffocative • Similar to: breathless, dyspneic, dyspnoeic, dyspneal, dyspnoeal • Derivationally related forms: suffocate (for: suffocative)