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Smother vs Muffled - What's the difference?

smother | muffled |

As verbs the difference between smother and muffled

is that smother is to suffocate; stifle; obstruct, more or less completely, the respiration of while muffled is (muffle).

As a noun smother

is that which smothers or appears to smother, particularly .

smother

English

Alternative forms

* (l) (obsolete)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) smothren, smortheren, alteration (due to smother, .

Verb

(en verb)
  • To suffocate; stifle; obstruct, more or less completely, the respiration of.
  • To extinguish or deaden, as fire, by covering, overlaying, or otherwise excluding the air: as, to smother a fire with ashes.
  • To reduce to a low degree of vigor or activity; suppress or do away with; extinguish; stifle; cover up; conceal; hide: as, the committee's report was smothered.
  • In cookery: to cook in a close dish: as, beefsteak smothered with onions.
  • To daub or smear.
  • To be suffocated.
  • To breathe with great difficulty by reason of smoke, dust, close covering or wrapping, or the like.
  • Of a fire: to burn very slowly for want of air; smolder.
  • Figuratively: to perish, grow feeble, or decline, by suppression or concealment; be stifled; be suppressed or concealed.
  • (soccer) To get in the way of a kick of the ball
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=December 27 , author=Mike Henson , title=Norwich 0 - 2 Tottenham , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Emmanuel Adebayor's touch proved a fraction heavy as he guided Van der Vaart's exquisite long ball round John Ruddy, before the goalkeeper did well to smother Bale's shot from Modric's weighted pass.}}
  • (Australian rules football) To get in the way of a kick of the ball, preventing it going very far. When a player is kicking the ball, an opponent who is close enough will reach out with his hands and arms to get over the top of it, so the ball hits his hands after leaving the kicker's boot, dribbling away.
  • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) smother, .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • That which smothers or appears to smother, particularly
  • # Smoldering; slow combustion
  • # Cookware used in such cooking
  • # The state of being stifled; suppression.
  • #* Francis Bacon
  • not to keep their suspicions in smother
  • # Stifling smoke; thick dust.
  • (Shakespeare)
  • # (Australian rules football) The act of smothering a kick (see above).
  • References

    *

    Anagrams

    * *

    muffled

    English

    Verb

    (head)
  • (muffle)

  • muffle

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Anything that mutes or deadens sound.
  • A warm piece of clothing for the hands.
  • A kiln or furnace, often electric, with no direct flames (a muffle furnace)
  • The bare end of the nose between the nostrils, especially in ruminants.
  • Verb

    (muffl)
  • To wrap (a person, face etc.) in fabric or another covering, for warmth or protection; often with up .
  • * Addison
  • The face lies muffled up within the garment.
  • * Dryden
  • He muffled with a cloud his mournful eyes.
  • * Arbuthnot
  • muffled up in darkness and superstition
  • To wrap up or cover (a source of noise) in order to deaden the sound.
  • to muffle the strings of a drum, or that part of an oar which rests in the rowlock
  • To mute or deaden (a sound etc.).
  • * 1999 , (George RR Martin), A Clash of Kings , Bantam 2011, p. 397:
  • The singer's voice was muffled by the thick walls, yet Tyrion knew the verse.
  • (dated) To speak indistinctly, or without clear articulation.
  • (dated) To prevent seeing, or hearing, or speaking, by wraps bound about the head; to blindfold; to deafen.