stíflað

Stíflað is an Icelandic adjective meaning blocked or obstructed. It is used to describe something whose passage or opening has been closed, whether due to physical blockage or impediment in a process. The term is commonly found in medical, technical, and everyday language, where it can refer to a blocked airway, a clogged duct, a shut valve, or any other closed conduit, as well as to abstract situations such as delays or hindrances in progression. The word derives from the noun stífla (blockage) and the related verb form that conveys obstruction or damming.

In medical contexts, stíflað often describes occluded passages or lumens, such as airways or ducts, indicating that normal flow is impeded. In engineering and infrastructure discourse, it may describe a blocked pipe, channel, or ventilation path. In everyday speech, it can express simpler notions of congestion or stoppage, such as a blocked nose or a clogged drain, though precise phrasing may vary with context and register.

Stíflað is typically inflected for gender and number in Icelandic, with related forms used to match the noun it modifies. Related terms include stífla (blockage) and stíflaun or stífla, which refer to the act or state of blocking.

See also: stífla, stíflaðness, stíflun.