smotherer

1 9.4

A person who controls others and stops them trying new things

noun
/ˈsmʌðərər/

NSFW

: sofocador

As a smotherer, she often overwhelmed her friends with excessive affection and attention.

Examples

You're the mad smotherer. # STEVEN #

Fiction book (1996)
I am a smotherer.

Fiction book (1996)
You're the mad smotherer.

The Cable Guy (1996)
He has earned a reputation as a smotherer, always trying to control every aspect of his partner's life.
Parents who are smotherers may unintentionally stifle their children's independence by being overly protective.

Synonyms

stifler

vssmotherer

1 8.9

A person who stops others from speaking or trying new ideas

is more general, also applies to stopping people or things physically

suppressor

vssmotherer

Specialized

1 8.0

A person who uses force or authority to stop people, information and actions

is a general term not limited to force or official power

suppresser

vssmotherer

8.7

A person who stops people from saying or sharing ideas and facts

is broader, affecting people and actions as well

represser

vssmotherer

Specialized

9.8

A person or thing that stops actions, feelings and genes from working

typically refers to a person rather than a mechanism or biological regulator

Antonyms

liberator

21 5.3

A person who frees people from slavery or prison

How Controlling

oppressor

33 7.5

smotherer

NSFW

1 9.4

control freak

Offensive

35 5.8

overprotective

32 4.5

Surface Forms

smotherer singular

smotherers plural

Morphology

smotherer = smother (transparent) = smother + er

Formed by the verb 'smother' plus the agentive suffix '-er'; the meaning 'person who smothers' is directly derivable.

Etymology

The word smotherer comes from the verb smother, which began with the idea of 'covering' someone so they 'cannot breathe', and the ending -er makes it a person who does the action. So a smotherer is someone who 'stops' or 'holds back' another person, which is why we call overprotective people or harsh critics 'smotherers'.