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

He’s great in “Jay Kelly,” his loyal, long-suffering agent acting as a nice, human foil to George Clooney’s sometimes insufferable star.

From Los Angeles Times

Despite concerns for the future, long-suffering Cubans put on a brave face.

From Barron's

But history is nothing to fret about, especially after Alibaba’s rally this year fueled by a pivot to artificial intelligence that was a relief to long-suffering investors.

From Barron's

The Ducks long-suffering supporters are also ready for the pain of the last seven seasons to ease.

From Los Angeles Times

George Harrison offers spoken holiday wishes before introducing long-suffering road manager, Mal Evans, who offers his own greeting.

From Salon