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:
The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that more than 12 million Americans suffer from PTSD.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
The Lincoln’s fate has been the most heavily publicized, but it isn’t the only aircraft carrier to suffer these traumas.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
That being said, rising yields don’t guarantee that stocks will suffer.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
"We want to believe that she didn't suffer."
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Hermes warned him that if he persisted in his stubborn silence, he should suffer still more terrible things.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
But this government-run primary school for girls in Faridabad, a district on the outskirts of the Indian capital Delhi, suffers from a host of problems.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
He suffers horrible burns, but she dashes away unscathed.
From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026
The aggressive maneuver came in a motion that argued the plaintiffs should be held financially responsible for monetary damages Paramount suffers during litigation that attempts to block the $81 billion deal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
The president's latest order also arrives just as children across the country are readying to return to school, and as the US suffers its worst measles outbreak in 35 years.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
Although Mother has one now, and she still suffers.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
She had suffered a "substantial" miscarriage of justice, they said, alleging a litany of irregularities and the misuse of evidence during the trial.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Mason Mount did excel alongside Santos in the first three games of pre-season, but he has been struggling to overcome a foot problem he suffered against Paris St-Germain in Gothenburg on 8 August.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
As the state has relied heavily on its water, the Delta’s ecosystem has suffered, and native fish populations have declined.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
The attacks were inconsequential in one sense—there were no reports of contaminated water, though some systems suffered pressure drops and issued precautionary boil-water advisories.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
Ever since the carriage accident Seward had suffered, Stanton had been a faithful visitor.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
Baleba is expected to be out for another two to three weeks after suffering an ankle injury during a pre-season training camp in Austria.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Center Tyler Biadasz is out indefinitely after suffering a left knee injury in Tuesday’s joint practice with San Francisco.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
Others told of children suffering serious ailments who were shooed off with Tylenol.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
"As a result, many apples are dropping from the trees prematurely, remaining very small, or suffering from sunburn damage," the agency said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
Their tents had been lashed to ribbons by the violent wind, and they were all suffering from exposure.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
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.
