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

Explanation

Someone who's long-suffering puts up stoically with discomfort, trouble, or other people's bad behavior. Your patient old dog, who calmly endures the hugs and ear-tugs of little kids, is long-suffering. If someone is described as a long-suffering wife or husband, the implication is that this person has put up with a stubborn, frustrating, or cranky spouse for many years — without complaining. The long-suffering fans of a losing baseball team, on the other hand, keep on rooting enthusiastically for them despite their disappointing record. This adjective has existed in English since the 16th century.

Example Sentences

In bad news for long-suffering passengers, DB head Evelyn Palla told a press conference that the write-off resulted from expectations of a poor service stretching into the future.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Speaking as a very long-suffering Angels fan, I can tell you what my No. 1 priority is for the organization.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2026

The statement didn’t mention the goal of regime change or the prospect of empowering the country’s long-suffering opposition.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

Most of the pain will be felt by the long-suffering Iranian people.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

Even Sherrilyn, the head of museum security and Aru’s long-suffering babysitter on the weekends, didn’t come in on Mondays.

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi