noun
-
the pain, misery, or loss experienced by a person who suffers
-
the state or an instance of enduring pain, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of suffering
First recorded in 1350–1400; suffer + -ing 1 ( def. )
Explanation
Suffering is the kind of pain you feel when you shatter your ankle and it's what you'll see all around you if you find yourself in the middle of a tornado or an earthquake. When you're suffering, you're not happy — in fact, you're quite miserable. The Latin roots that give us suffering and related words paint a vivid picture of what suffering feels like. The word comes from sub-, meaning "below," and ferre, "bear." Suffering is something pressing you down that you have to submit to and bear. It's definitely the opposite of fun.
Vocabulary lists containing suffering
Because of Winn-Dixie
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"The Young American" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
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The House of Hades
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Suffering what was likely a traumatic brain injury, he sank into a deep depression.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
Suffering her first defeat of the season after six successive wins, Bencic becomes the highest seed to fall in the women's draw.
From BBC • Jan. 22, 2026
Suffering from speech disorders, he talks constantly and sometimes incoherently, disturbing other residents, Madeleine said.
From Barron's • Dec. 26, 2025
Suffering blurred vision and painful ringing in his ears, he could barely walk or talk and had to be taken to the emergency room.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 13, 2024
Suffering from a miserable mix of dysentery, headaches, and dizziness, Alvarez quickly slipped from 165 pounds to 135.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
