suffer

[suhf-er]

verb (used without object)

1. to undergo or feel pain or distress.

   The patient is still suffering.

2. to sustain injury, disadvantage, or loss.

   One's health suffers from overwork. The business suffers from lack of capital.

3. to undergo a penalty, as of death.

   The traitor was made to suffer on the gallows.

4. to endure pain, disability, death, etc., patiently or willingly.

verb (used with object)

1. to undergo, be subjected to, or endure (pain, distress, injury, loss, or anything unpleasant).

   to suffer the pangs of conscience.

   Synonyms: sustain

2. to undergo or experience (any action, process, or condition).

   to suffer change.

3. to tolerate or allow.

   I do not suffer fools gladly.

   Synonyms: abide, stand, stomach

suffer

/ ˈsʌfə /

verb

1. to undergo or be subjected to (pain, punishment, etc)

2. (tr) to undergo or experience (anything)

   to suffer a change of management

3. (intr) to be set at a disadvantage

   this author suffers in translation

4. to be prepared to endure (pain, death, etc)

   he suffers for the cause of freedom

5. archaic,  (tr) to permit (someone to do something)

   suffer the little children to come unto me

6. 1. to be ill with, esp recurrently

   2. to be given to

      he suffers from a tendency to exaggerate

Usage

It is better to avoid using the words suffer and sufferer in relation to chronic illness or disability. They may be considered demeaning and disempowering. Suitable alternative are have , experience , be diagnosed with

Other Word Forms

• sufferable adjective
• sufferableness noun
• sufferably adverb
• sufferer noun
• nonsufferable adjective
• nonsufferableness noun
• nonsufferably adverb
• outsuffer verb (used with object)
• presuffer verb
• unsufferable adjective
• unsufferableness noun
• unsufferably adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of suffer¹

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English suff(e)ren, from Latin sufferre, from suf- suf- ( def. ) + ferre “to bring, carry”; compare Old French sofrir, from Vulgar Latin sufferīre (unrecorded); bear ¹ ( def. ), -phore ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of suffer¹

C13: from Old French soffrir, from Latin sufferre, from _sub- + ferre to bear

Idioms and Phrases

see not suffer fools gladly.

Example Sentences

The 900-foot Kairos was en route from Egypt to Russia when it suffered a blast and caught fire, according to Turkish authorities.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Arsenal teenager Katie Reid was called up to the last squad but was forced to withdraw when she suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Read more on BBC

The lawn would never suffer such a fate.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He suffered the injury in the previous game against the Utah Jazz when he took a knee-to-knee hit.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

However, a monthly drop like the one suffered in November tends to take a bit longer to recover from.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• accept 
• bleed 
• encounter 
• experience 
• feel 
• go through 
• have 
• hurt 
• know 
• receive 
• see 
• support 
• sustain 
• take 
• undergo