What does "smother someone" mean? Isn't it suffocating someone?
Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
The word "smother" literally means to deprive of oxygen, so it can be used to refer to someone who gets suffocated by a pillow. In everyday conversation, the word is often used to refer to the act of making someone feel like they’re being deprived of oxygen or personal space. Ex: He smothers me. He's always asking me where I am and what I'm doing. Ex: You're smothering him by calling him 25 times a day.