choke

choke — verb

1. when your airway is partly or fully blocked — by food, a small object, liquid, o

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

when your airway is partly or fully blocked — by food, a small object, liquid, or smoke — and you cannot get air into your lungs, or to make someone experience this.

例句

Aiko started to choke on a piece of fish during dinner at the restaurant.

choke on [object] — the thing that blocks the airway

The old man choked on his tea and coughed for almost a minute.

choke on [liquid]

同義詞
  • suffocate

    more general — can mean death from lack of air whether or not the throat is blocked

  • gag

    a retching reflex, not necessarily with airway blockage; less severe

文法句型

choke on something

choke (somebody)

用法筆記

This sense can be both intransitive (She choked on a nut) and transitive (The smoke choked the firefighters). The intransitive form is far more common in everyday speech.

常見錯誤

❌I choked by a fish bone.
✅I choked on a fish bone.
💡The correct preposition is 'on', not 'by'.
❌He choked me with his hand' (when meaning strangling).
✅He choked me by pressing on my throat.
💡For hands-only strangulation, see sense 2 below.

2. to squeeze a person's neck with your hands or a cord so that their air supply is

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to squeeze a person's neck with your hands or a cord so that their air supply is cut off and they cannot breathe.

例句

In the film, the villain tried to choke the hero with a rope.

choke [someone] with [object]

The police found evidence that a young man had been choked to death.

passive: be choked to death

同義詞
  • strangle

    narrower — always deliberate and typically fatal; choke can be less final

  • throttle

    more forceful and violent; often implies squeezing with bare hands

文法句型

choke somebody

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (STOP BREATHING): sense 2 always involves deliberate pressure on the throat from outside the body, usually by another person. Sense 1 covers accidental internal blockage (food, liquid, smoke).

常見錯誤

❌The baby choked on my hand.
✅I choked the attacker with my hands.
💡Sense 2 is transitive and deliberate; accidental internal blockage requires sense 1 with 'on'.

3. to fill a passage, pipe, road, or space so completely that nothing can move thro

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

to fill a passage, pipe, road, or space so completely that nothing can move through it easily — for example, when fallen leaves block a drain and stop water from flowing.

例句

Leaves and mud had choked the drain behind the old house.

choked [passage] — physical obstruction

The narrow streets were choked with traffic during the evening rush hour.

passive: be choked with [obstruction]

同義詞
  • clog

    similar but usually slower — gradual buildup rather than sudden filling

  • block

    broader — can be partial or complete; choke implies complete obstruction

  • jam

    typically used for mechanical parts or traffic

文法句型

be choked with something

用法筆記

Frequently used in the passive voice (be choked with/by something). The subject is often a road, pipe, drain, or other passageway. Also used in more abstract contexts (The market is choked with cheap imports).

常見錯誤

❌The road was choked from cars.
✅The road was choked with cars.
💡The correct preposition is 'with', not 'from'.

4. to perform much worse than usual at a decisive moment, especially in sports or e

4.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to perform much worse than usual at a decisive moment, especially in sports or exams, because nervousness suddenly takes over — for example, missing an easy putt in golf when the pressure to win becomes overwhelming.

例句

The tennis player choked and lost the match after being far ahead.

sports context — sudden failure under pressure

Ravi choked during the final exam and could not answer simple questions.

exam context — nervousness blocks performance

同義詞
  • freeze

    becomes unable to move or act; more extreme than choke

  • crack under pressure

    more general, not limited to sports; slightly more formal

反義詞

文法句型

choke (in/on/at something)

用法筆記

Common in sports commentary and informal conversation about high-stakes situations (tests, job interviews, performances). The noun form 'a choke' is also used in sports (That was a real choke).

常見錯誤

❌I choked in my presentation because I didn't study.
✅I choked in my presentation because I was too nervous.
💡The word implies you had the ability but lost confidence, not that you lacked preparation.

5. when strong feelings such as sadness, gratitude, or anger make your voice break

5.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

when strong feelings such as sadness, gratitude, or anger make your voice break and prevent you from talking normally — for example, when a speaker tries to thank a crowd but the words will not come out.

例句

Leila choked with emotion as she read the letter from her family.

choke with [emotion]

Yara's voice choked when she tried to thank the strangers who saved her son.

voice chokes — specific body part as subject

同義詞
  • get choked up

    informal phrasal verb; very common in conversation

  • sob

    different — crying audibly vs. being unable to speak

文法句型

choke with [emotion]

choke on something

choke somebody up

用法筆記

The intransitive pattern 'choke with [emotion]' is most common (choked with grief / rage / joy). The phrasal form 'choke up' is also frequent in informal American English (I choked up when I saw the award). Never used literally — the airway is not actually blocked.

常見錯誤

❌I choked with sadness and could not talk.' (correct but imprecise).
✅I choked up with emotion during my retirement speech.
💡'Choke up' is the more natural phrasal verb for this emotional sense.

6. to prevent something from expanding, improving, or reaching its full potential b

6.動詞及物C1
釋義

to prevent something from expanding, improving, or reaching its full potential by placing limits on it — for example, when complex rules stop a company from testing new ideas and getting bigger.

例句

High taxes can choke small businesses and stop them from growing.

abstract subject: choke [business/development]

Strict school rules choked the creativity of students in the art department.

同義詞
  • stifle

    stronger — suggests deliberate suppression

  • suppress

    formal; about actively preventing expression or development

  • hinder

    milder — slows down but does not necessarily stop

反義詞
  • foster

    to encourage growth and development

  • promote

    to actively support progress

文法句型

choke something

用法筆記

Almost always figurative — the literal obstruction sense (sense 3) is for physical passages, while this sense applies to abstract entities (economy, creativity, growth). The subject is typically a system, regulation, or external force.

常見錯誤

❌The government choked the road.' (should be sense 3).
✅The regulations choked economic growth.
💡For abstract limitation, use this sense; for physical obstruction, use sense 3 (FILL).

7. to reduce the amount of air going into a cold engine so that more fuel mixes wit

7.動詞及物C1
釋義

to reduce the amount of air going into a cold engine so that more fuel mixes with the air, which helps the engine start more easily.

例句

Theo pulled the choke lever to help the old car start on a cold morning.

noun form in 'choke lever' — the device that chokes

Yusuf adjusted the choke to get the lawnmower engine running again.

文法句型

choke an engine

用法筆記

This sense is specific to older vehicles with carburetors. Modern cars with fuel injection do not need manual choking, so younger speakers may not be familiar with this meaning. The noun 'choke' (the control device) is more common than the verb in everyday speech.

常見錯誤

❌I choked the car because it was too hot.
✅I choked the engine because it was cold outside.
💡The choke is only needed when the engine is cold, not when it is hot.

choke — noun