suffering

[suhf-er-ing, suhf-ring]

noun

1. the state of a person or thing that suffers.

   Synonyms: distress, pain, torture, torment, agony

2. Often sufferings. something suffered by a person or a group of people; pain.

   the sorrows and sufferings of our poorest citizens.

suffering

/ ˈsʌfrɪŋ, ˈsʌfərɪŋ /

noun

1. the pain, misery, or loss experienced by a person who suffers

2. the state or an instance of enduring pain, etc

Other Word Forms

• sufferingly adverb
• unsuffering adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of suffering¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; suffer + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

In Parkinson's disease, this protein sticks together into toxic clumps that cause nerve cell death and leads to patients suffering from symptoms such as tremors, difficulties moving and muscle stiffness.

Read more on Science Daily

The margin of victory may ultimately have been large but, before's Mooney knock, Australia really were in danger of suffering the biggest World Cup shock of all.

Read more on BBC

"No matter what we do, nothing will rebuild what's inside us. My children aren't my children anymore. There's more suffering than innocence in their eyes now."

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At the least, Goodstein’s loss and the suffering of her husband and child called for compassion.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

One of their attorneys, Victoria Alford, said they were injured while they fled the massive explosion, calling the plant workers’ physical injuries “orthopedic in nature,” and said they were also suffering from anxiety.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• adversity 
• anguish 
• difficulty 
• discomfort 
• hardship 
• misery 
• misfortune 
• ordeal 
• torment 
• torture