WordGarden.iosuffer
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /sˈʌfə/
US
- /ˈsəfər/
Meanings
Verb
to experience pain, illness, or injury
to feel great sadness, distress, or emotional pain
to be badly affected by loss, damage, or difficult conditions
More meaningsFewer meanings
to tolerate or allow something, often reluctantly
Beyond the definition
To suffer means to go through something painful or unpleasant, physically, emotionally, or mentally. We all suffer at times; it's part of being human. You might suffer through a cold, suffer the loss of a loved one, or suffer from anxiety. It is not always about physical pain. A team might suffer a defeat in a game, meaning they experience the disappointment of losing. Sometimes, people suffer in silence, carrying their pain alone. The word carries weight because it suggests living through something hard.
The word "suffer" evokes a sense of enduring hardship, pain, or distress. It is far more than simply feeling bad; it implies an experience that is difficult to bear. Historically, the word developed meanings connected both to undergoing something and to allowing something. That older idea of "permitting" still appears in a few fixed expressions, but the main modern sense is to experience or endure something painful or difficult.
You can suffer physically from an illness or injury: "She suffered a broken leg in the accident." But suffering isn't limited to the body. People can suffer emotionally from grief, loss, or heartbreak: "He suffered greatly after his wife passed away." You might also suffer injustice, meaning you are treated unfairly.
The context often dictates the intensity of the experience. A minor inconvenience might cause temporary discomfort, but a chronic illness can lead to years of prolonged suffering. Sometimes, people choose to suffer in silence—enduring hardship without complaint. Other times, they seek help and support to alleviate their pain.
Interestingly, you may encounter the archaic use of the word meaning "to permit," most famously in the biblical phrase "suffer the little children to come unto me." This same root is found in the expression to "suffer fools gladly," which refers to patiently tolerating the foolishness of others. However, in modern English, this is most commonly used in the negative—saying someone "does not suffer fools gladly" to describe a person who has no patience for stupidity.
So, whether it is physical pain, emotional distress, injustice, or simply putting up with someone irritating, to suffer means to bear something difficult—and often, to do so with resilience and endurance.
Examples
- 1
Medical condition
She suffers from migraines every few weeks.
- 2
Disaster damage
The town suffered serious damage in the storm.
- 3
Business hardship
Many small businesses suffered during the pandemic.
- 4
School performance
His grades began to suffer after he started working nights.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Ongoing problem
The whole family was suffering from a lack of sleep.
- Patternsuffer from + problem
be affected by an illness or other problem
- 6
Consequences
If we ignore the warning signs now, we'll suffer the consequences later.
- Phrasesuffer the consequences
face the bad results of something
- 7
Hidden pain
No one should have to suffer in silence.
- Phrasesuffer in silence
hide your pain or problems instead of talking about them
- 8
Unpleasant event
We all had to suffer through his two-hour presentation.
- Patternsuffer through + unpleasant event
endure it until it ends
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- sufferverb
Forms
- suffering-ing formverb
- sufferedpast tenseverb
- suffersverb