long-suffering

American  

[lawng-suhf-er-ing, -suhf-ring, long-] / ˈlɔŋˈsʌf ər ɪŋ, -ˈsʌf rɪŋ, ˈlɒŋ- /

adjective

1. enduring injury, trouble, or provocation long and patiently.

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noun

1. long and patient endurance of injury, trouble, or provocation.

   years of long-suffering and illness.

long-suffering British  

adjective

1. enduring pain, unhappiness, etc, without complaint

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noun

1. long and patient endurance

Usage

What does long-suffering mean? Long-suffering is most commonly used as an adjective to describe someone who patiently endures negative situations for long periods of time without complaining.It’s often used in situations in which someone has endured pain, injury, illness, hardship, tragedy, or difficulty in accomplishing something. It’s also often used to describe a person who has stood by or supported someone during a difficult time.Sometimes, it’s used in the context of situations that aren’t very serious, such as to describe the faithful and long-suffering fans of a team that always loses. It’s also often used to describe a spouse as patiently enduring the whims or aggravating behaviors of their partner, as in My long-suffering husband merely sighed when I brought home yet another stray cat.Importantly, though, long-suffering doesn’t simply indicate that someone has endured bad things for a long time—it implies that they have endured such things without complaint.Long-suffering can also be used as a noun meaning the patient endurance of negative situations without complaint. It can refer to a quality, an ability, or an instance of such endurance.In religious contexts, long-suffering is discussed as a virtue, especially one involving being patient and slow to get angry. A close synonym is forbearance.Long-suffering is sometimes spelled as one word, without a hyphen, as longsuffering. It’s perhaps most commonly spelled this way when it’s used as a noun.Example: My long-suffering family has made so many sacrifices without complaint during this long ordeal.

Other Word Forms

• long-sufferingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of long-suffering

First recorded in 1520–30

Example Sentences

It appeared to be business as usual for long-suffering England fans when Australia won the first Test at Lord's by 239 runs.

From Barron's

“It gets really bad at Christmastime,” one long-suffering woman working at the pastry counter told me, noting that Yuletide season is fast upon us.

From The Wall Street Journal

These, however, also feel funereal, like death masks taken after a long-suffering friend has been freed finally from corporeal struggles.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ministers point to how they are planning to raise tax, as well as the amount, suggesting a squeeze on wealth, capital and income from those sources, rather than long-suffering pay packets.

From BBC

Insisting it was "pronounced Bouquet," Hyacinth ran roughshod over her long-suffering husband and bewildered neighbours in Keeping Up Appearances, one of Britain's most successful sitcoms in the 1990s.

From BBC