Cool MateHide vs Smother
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Hide
Top 1,000 (very common)A2verb
Smother
Top 2,000 (common)
Most common: Hide
| Hide | Smother | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/haɪd/","/haɪdz/","/hɪd/","/ˈhɪdn/","/ˈhaɪdɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/haɪd/","/haɪdz/","/hɪd/","/ˈhɪdn/","/ˈhaɪdɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //ˈsmʌð.ə//🇺🇸 //ˈsmʌð.ɚ// |
| Meaning | To put something in a place where it cannot be seen. | To cover someone or something completely, often making it hard to breathe. |
| Example | She decided to hide behind the curtain during the game. | The flames began to smother the small room quickly. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | A2 | - |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | away, quickly, easily, prefer to, want to, among, behind, beneath, carefully hidden, completely hidden, well hidden, away, quickly, easily, prefer to, want to, among, behind, beneath, carefully hidden, completely hidden, well hidden, away, quickly, easily, prefer to, want to, among, behind, beneath, carefully hidden, completely hidden, well hidden, well, completely, barely, be able to, be unable to, try to, from, keep something hidden, previously hidden, remain hidden | smother someone with affection, smother in blankets, smother a fire, smother with kisses, smother one's feelings |
| Antonyms | reveal, show, display | expose, reveal, air |
| Common mistakes | 'Hide' is often confused with 'secrete' which has a different meaning., Learners may forget to use an object, e.g., saying 'I hide' instead of 'I hide the book.', Misuse of tenses, e.g., saying 'I hided the keys' instead of 'I hid the keys.' | Confused with 'smothering' as an ongoing action versus 'smother' as a completed action., Using 'smother' without an object when it requires one., Overusing in contexts that don't imply covering or suffocating. |
| Usage notes | Commonly used in everyday conversation. Avoid in formal writing. Can imply physical hiding or keeping information secret. | Use in contexts involving covering or suffocating. Not usually used in formal writing. |
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Frequently asked questions: Hide vs Smother
What's the difference between Hide and Smother?
Hide: To put something in a place where it cannot be seen. Smother: To cover someone or something completely, often making it hard to breathe.
Which is more common: Hide and Smother?
Hide is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Hide: She decided to hide behind the curtain during the game. Smother: The flames began to smother the small room quickly.
Can I use Hide and Smother interchangeably?
Not always. Hide and Smother are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.