Synonyms

suffer

American

[suhf-er] / ˈsʌf ər /

verb (used without object)

to undergo or feel pain or distress.

The patient is still suffering.
to sustain injury, disadvantage, or loss.

One's health suffers from overwork. The business suffers from lack of capital.
to undergo a penalty, as of death.

The traitor was made to suffer on the gallows.
to endure pain, disability, death, etc., patiently or willingly.

verb (used with object)

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

to suffer the pangs of conscience.

Synonyms:

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

to suffer change.
to tolerate or allow.

I do not suffer fools gladly.

Synonyms:

abide, stand, stomach

suffer British

/ ˈsʌfə /

verb

to undergo or be subjected to (pain, punishment, etc)
(tr) to undergo or experience (anything)

to suffer a change of management
(intr) to be set at a disadvantage

this author suffers in translation
to be prepared to endure (pain, death, etc)

he suffers for the cause of freedom
archaic (tr) to permit (someone to do something)

suffer the little children to come unto me
1. to be ill with, esp recurrently
2. to be given to
  
  he suffers from a tendency to exaggerate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

suffer Idioms

see not suffer fools gladly.

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing suffer

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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:

suffer suffers suffered suffering

“You just have to suffer through and work harder,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

Some victims suffer headaches, nausea, fever, diarrhea, vomiting or abdominal cramps so sharp that a friend calls them “knives in the stomach.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

Erling Haaland and his teammates will be fine, as will the Abu Dhabi royals, although whatever remains of the club’s pre-2008 Mancunian fanbase is likely to suffer bitterly.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

Though higher rates can cause stock and bond portfolios to suffer, those higher rates also mean that it takes less to secure the same retirement standard of living as before rates started rising.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

“I didn’t come all this way, suffer so many humiliations...”

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

“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

Dixon said she still suffers from physical symptoms, which she attributes to her time in East Palestine.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 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

However, after getting the script again years later, he could not resist the work of writer Paul Mayhew-Archer, who suffers from the condition himself.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

“We need money just for food,” says his grandmother, who suffers from cataracts.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

All this comes after bitcoin suffered some bad news in mid-September.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026

Dubai’s tourism, like aviation, has suffered a sharp setback from the conflict.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

While the second of the two liver transplants was successful, Campbell suffered further complications.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

The plaintiffs say they have suffered losses amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars from wildfires, flooding and other weather extremes and are seeking compensation.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

And since he suffered from this love affliction, he would do my bidding without question.

From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth

Pike's legal team had previously objected to the execution's IV protocol, saying it would have caused needless suffering due to her small veins and a blood condition.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

The future actress also endured severe hardship during the war, suffering malnutrition as food shortages swept the occupied country.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

The Eagles were without receiver DeVonta Smith and left tackle Lane Johnson, and star running back Saquon Barkley left the game in the first quarter after suffering a hamstring injury.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

Her lawyers had previously said her small veins made it likely she would experience unnecessary suffering from lethal drugs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

But the Italian army proved woefully unprepared for war, launching repeated attacks against the Austrians, gaining no ground, suffering huge casualties, and becoming a liability rather than an asset to the Allies.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023