constrict
C1Formal/Academic/Scientific
Definition
Meaning
To make something narrower, tighter, or smaller by squeezing or pressing on it.
To limit, restrain, or inhibit someone or something, creating a sense of pressure or restriction.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used as a transitive verb. Often describes a physical squeezing action but can be metaphorical. Conveys a sense of compression, suffocation, or restriction.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major lexical differences in usage; identical in both varieties.
Connotations
Identical connotations of tightness and restriction.
Frequency
Slightly more common in formal and scientific contexts in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] constricts [Object][Object] is constricted by [Subject]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No common idioms directly feature the verb 'constrict'.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used metaphorically: 'Regulations began to constrict the company's ability to innovate.'
Academic
Used in biological/physical sciences: 'The drug causes blood vessels to constrict.'
Everyday
Used for feelings or physical sensations: 'Fear constricted his chest.'
Technical
Precise term in medicine (vasoconstriction, bronchoconstriction) and engineering.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Cold water can make your blood vessels constrict.
- The new legislation threatens to constrict civil liberties.
American English
- The anaconda will constrict its prey.
- Tight budgets constrict our options for expansion.
adverb
British English
- No standard adverb form ('constrictingly' is non-standard).
American English
- No standard adverb form ('constrictingly' is non-standard).
adjective
British English
- The adjective form 'constrictive' is rare; 'constricting' is the common participial adjective: 'a constricting feeling'.
American English
- The adjective form 'constrictive' is rare; 'constricting' is the common participial adjective: 'constricting regulations'.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The snake can constrict small animals.
- His tie was too tight and constricted his neck.
- New rules constrict what we can do.
- During an asthma attack, the airways constrict, making breathing difficult.
- Feeling of panic constricted her throat.
- The authoritarian regime systematically constricted freedom of the press.
- Peripheral blood vessels constrict in response to cold to conserve core body heat.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a CONStrictor snake – it CONSTRICTs its prey.
Conceptual Metaphor
RESTRICTION/PRESSURE IS CONSTRICTION. (e.g., 'constricted by rules', 'constricting relationship').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'construct' (строить).
- Do not translate as 'restrict' (ограничивать) in all contexts; the core meaning is physical compression/squeezing.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'The road constricted the traffic flow.' (Use 'restricted' or 'slowed').
- Incorrect: 'They constricted a new policy.' (Confusion with 'construct').
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'constrict' used in a primarily metaphorical sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. 'Constrict' primarily means to physically squeeze or make narrower. 'Restrict' means to limit or control. They can overlap metaphorically (e.g., constrict/restrict freedom), but 'constrict' implies a tighter, more compressive limitation.
The main noun is 'constriction'. 'Constrictor' is a specific noun for something that constricts (e.g., a snake).
Rarely. It is almost always a transitive verb (needing an object). An intransitive use might be: 'Her throat constricted with emotion.' (Here, 'throat' is the subject undergoing the action).
Both can mean to become smaller. 'Contract' is more general (muscles contract, metals contract when cooled) and often reciprocal. 'Constrict' implies an external or internal force causing tight squeezing, often along a length (a tube, a passage). 'Constrict' has a stronger sense of pressure.
Explore