patience

¹ American  

[pey-shuhns] / ˈpeɪ ʃəns /

noun

1. the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.

   Synonyms:

   sufferance, submissiveness, self-possession, stability, composure

2. an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay.

   to have patience with a slow learner.

3. quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence.

   to work with patience.

   Synonyms:

   assiduity, persistence, indefatigability

4. Cards (chiefly British). solitaire.

5. Also called patience dock.  a European dock, Rumex patientia, of the buckwheat family, whose leaves are often used as a vegetable.

6. Obsolete. leave; permission; sufference.

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Patience ² American  

[pey-shuhns] / ˈpeɪ ʃəns /

noun

1. a female given name.

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patience British  

/ ˈpeɪʃəns /

noun

1. tolerant and even-tempered perseverance

2. the capacity for calmly enduring pain, trying situations, etc

3. US equivalent: solitaire.  any of various card games for one player only, in which the cards may be laid out in various combinations as the player tries to use up the whole pack

4. obsolete permission; sufferance

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patience Idioms  

1. see try one's patience.

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Related Words

Patience, endurance, fortitude, stoicism imply qualities of calmness, stability, and persistent courage in trying circumstances. Patience may denote calm, self-possessed, and unrepining bearing of pain, misfortune, annoyance, or delay; or painstaking and untiring industry or (less often) application in the doing of somehing: to bear afflictions with patience. Endurance denotes the ability to bear exertion, hardship, or suffering (without implication of moral qualities required or shown): Running in a marathon requires great endurance. Fortitude implies not only patience but courage and strength of character in the midst of pain, affliction, or hardship: to show fortitude in adversity. Stoicism is calm fortitude, with such repression of emotion as to seem almost like indifference to pleasure or pain: The American Indians were noted for stoicism under torture.

Other Word Forms

• superpatience noun

Etymology

Origin of patience

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English pacience, from Old French, from Latin patientia. See patient, -ence

Explanation

Patience is a person's ability to wait something out or endure something tedious, without getting riled up. It takes a lot of patience to wait for your braces to come off, to deal with a toddler's temper tantrum, or to build a house out of toothpicks. Having patience means you can remain calm, even when you've been waiting forever or dealing with something painstakingly slow or trying to teach someone how to do something and they just don't get it. It involves acceptance and tolerance, and is usually easier to have when there's something in it for you at the end. That could be a goal you've been slowly working to achieve, or just lower blood pressure.

Example Sentences

All of that is true, but the patience he asks for is wearing thin among some constituents.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

Naturally, this is the film’s opening scene, intended to communicate that managing Tourette’s is a lifelong endeavor, but that even the stuffiest, most proper royal figurehead can meet the condition with patience and understanding.

From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026

"I would also like to express my sincere thanks to Angela's family and friends for their patience and unwavering support to the investigation," said Detective Chief Inspector Alison Foxwell, who has been leading the investigation.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

Buyers are also showing thinning patience with trying to time purchases for certain rate levels.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

Penelope tried to write Hereditary??? on her paper, but quickly lost patience with sorting out which vowels went where.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• composure
• diligence
• endurance
• fortitude
• grit
• humility
• moderation
• perseverance
• persistence
• poise
• restraint
• self-control
• tolerance