Prevented from breathing freely or suppressed; made unable to express yourself or move freely.
From Middle English 'stiflen', possibly from Old Norse origins. The word originally meant to choke or suffocate, then broadened to mean suppressing any kind of expression, emotion, or movement.
During the Victorian era, women wore corsets so tight they literally stifled their breathing—which is why 'stifled' perfectly captures both the physical restriction and the metaphorical feeling of being trapped by social rules.
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