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Gene93 Posted 11 years ago
Vocabulary
to stifle something
Hello,
Is it true that we can't really use stifle in contexts, in which someone is trying not to show his/her emotions? As in:
- Molly pressed her hand against her mouth to stifle her snobs.
- He managed to stifle a yawn.
- Stifling her impatience, she waited another half an hour.
- She had to stifle a smile when they appeared.
- She stifled the urge to scream.
Is it true we can't use it this way? I was told by a native speaker that it is only used in reference to speech or laughter. Nothing else.
Is it true that we can't really use stifle in contexts, in which someone is trying not to show his/her emotions? As in:
- Molly pressed her hand against her mouth to stifle her snobs.
- He managed to stifle a yawn.
- Stifling her impatience, she waited another half an hour.
- She had to stifle a smile when they appeared.
- She stifled the urge to scream.
Is it true we can't use it this way? I was told by a native speaker that it is only used in reference to speech or laughter. Nothing else.
Top answer
What you were told is incorrect. org/dictionary/british/stifle
- What you were told is incorrect.
- org/dictionary/british/stifle
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3 Answers
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What you were told is incorrect.
Have a look at the second meaning of "stifle" here:
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/stifle
Have a look at the second meaning of "stifle" here:
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/stifle
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I know, that's the dictionary I use. He said that he did not care about what the dictionary said. It's just confusing. I was told that absolutely nothing in the dictionaries was true and that it cannot be trusted.
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Gene93I was told that absolutely nothing in the dictionaries was true and that it cannot be trusted.That's yet another complete fallacy!
Your "native speaker" is simply wrong.
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