suffer
Americanverb (used without object)
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suffers,
present (3rd person singular)
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suffered,
past participle, past
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suffering
present participle
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to undergo or feel pain or distress.
The patient is still suffering.
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to sustain injury, disadvantage, or loss.
One's health suffers from overwork. The business suffers from lack of capital.
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to undergo a penalty, as of death.
The traitor was made to suffer on the gallows.
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to endure pain, disability, death, etc., patiently or willingly.
verb (used with object)
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suffers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
suffered,
past participle, past
-
suffering
present participle
-
to undergo, be subjected to, or endure (pain, distress, injury, loss, or anything unpleasant).
to suffer the pangs of conscience.
- Synonyms:
- sustain
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to undergo or experience (any action, process, or condition).
to suffer change.
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to tolerate or allow.
I do not suffer fools gladly.
verb
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to undergo or be subjected to (pain, punishment, etc)
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(tr) to undergo or experience (anything)
to suffer a change of management
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(intr) to be set at a disadvantage
this author suffers in translation
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to be prepared to endure (pain, death, etc)
he suffers for the cause of freedom
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archaic (tr) to permit (someone to do something)
suffer the little children to come unto me
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to be ill with, esp recurrently
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to be given to
he suffers from a tendency to exaggerate
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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
Derived Forms
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nonsufferablenessnoun
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sufferablenessnoun
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sufferernoun
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unsufferablenessnoun
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presufferverb
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outsufferverb (used with object)
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nonsufferableadjective
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sufferableadjective
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unsufferableadjective
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nonsufferablyadverb
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sufferablyadverb
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unsufferablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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suffersimple
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sufferssimple
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have sufferedperfect
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has sufferedperfect
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am sufferingprogressive
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are sufferingprogressive
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is sufferingprogressive
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have been sufferingperfect progressive
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has been sufferingperfect progressive
Past
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sufferedsimple
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had sufferedperfect
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was sufferingprogressive
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were sufferingprogressive
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had been sufferingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of suffer
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); see also bear 1 ( def. ), -phore ( def. )
Explanation
The verb suffer means to feel pain or something equally unpleasant. You'd probably do anything you could to be sure your beloved cat didn't suffer when she got old and sick. You can suffer from the pain of a broken leg, but you can also suffer from shyness, regret, poverty, or any number of unpleasant things. You can even describe something that becomes worse using the word suffer, like when someone's grades suffer during soccer season. The root of suffer is the Latin word sufferre, to bear, undergo, or endure. That's why someone who doesn't suffer fools gladly won't put up with nonsense.
Vocabulary lists containing suffer
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 5
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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A Thousand Splendid Suns
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
She wrote that she continued to suffer from liver and gastrointestinal issues that she believed were a result of cadmium poisoning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
"If you are a business and you suffer a security breach that leads to the loss of consumer data, you have to let consumers know," he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
Volkswagen VOW3 1.44%increase; green up pointing triangle Group vehicle deliveries fell in the third quarter as the German automaker continued to suffer from a deteriorating market in China.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Gauff is far from the first player in the women's game to suffer social media abuse.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
It means to endure and suffer through it.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
The FIA says that some track limits count as a strike towards the three maximum allowed and some don't, such as when a driver is pushed off track, or suffers an obvious loss of control.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
“That’s a reality when you live in a rural area where healthcare isn’t available,” said Rosenthal, who suffers from Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
It values economic ties with America, and as the world’s largest energy importer, China suffers if the oil shock caused by the conflict drags on, political analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
In “Let Them Eat Goo,” South Park Elementary decides to replace its cafeteria meat with a plant-based substitute after Cartman suffers two heart attacks.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
Mam tells Bridey she’s very sorry over the weak chest and it’s terrible the way her father suffers.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
In the years that followed, his symptoms worsened and he suffered reoccurring stokes and died from heart failure in 2025.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Newcastle suffered relegation by finishing 18th in 2015-16, costing them a projected £60.4m, of which £7.9m was place money.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Chip stocks haven’t suffered a losing streak like this in almost a year and a half.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Jair Bolsonaro is serving his sentence under house arrest for health reasons stemming from a stab wound he suffered in 2018 during the campaign in which he was elected president.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
Another teen who suffered as a result of the Great Terror was Lidiya Vladimirovna Litvyak—or as she was known all her life, Lilya.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
The greatest victories in healthcare are when we avoid suffering altogether.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
These rituals won’t end disease or suffering, but they aren’t trivial.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
That’s why stories about AI bots being put into virtual torture chambers aren’t just silly, but foregrounds the false notion that AI is capable of suffering.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
After suffering seizures and feeling very unwell from the chemotherapy, Jake opted out of continuing treatment.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
"We have to stop him! People are suffering!"
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
