noun
-
the pain, misery, or loss experienced by a person who suffers
-
the state or an instance of enduring pain, etc
Other Word 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.
"We've gone through so much hardship and suffering, and no achievements for people?" said translator Azadeh, 43.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
What kind of society rewards the suffering of others?
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
He was hospitalized in 2022 after he was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and after suffering a cardiac incident.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
She said: "The world needs to know that an innocent man's life was completely and irreversibly destroyed, and that his family is still suffering the consequences today."
From BBC • May 4, 2026
He was solicitous toward Ethel Collins about this, since she’d been suffering with a chronic gum problem for years.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
