choke

CEFRB1

/t͡ʃəʊk/

verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To be unable to breathe because something blocks your throat.

  2. 02

    verb

    To stop someone or something from succeeding.

Examples

  • You have to pace yourself or you'll choke halfway through.

  • Carol couldn't choke back her tears.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • /t͡ʃoʊk/

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. To obstruct (a passage, etc.) by filling it up or clogging it.

  2. To prevent (someone) from breathing or talking by strangling or filling the windpipe.

  3. To be unable to breathe because of obstruction of the windpipe (for instance food or other objects that go down the wrong way, or fumes or particles in the air that cause the throat to constrict).

More examples

In context

  • Ever since he choked on a bone, he has refused to eat fish.

  • The collar of this shirt is too tight; it’s choking me.

  • to choke a cave passage with boulders and mud

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

If you eat too fast, a piece of food may blank you.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

From Middle English choken (also cheken), from earlier acheken, from Old English āċēocian (“to choke”), probably derived from Old English ċēoce, ċēace (“jaw, cheek”), see cheek. Cognate with Icelandic kok (“throat”), koka (“to gulp”). See also achoke.