suffering

[suhf-er-ing, suhf-ring]

noun

1. the state of a person or thing that suffers.

   Synonyms: distress, pain, torture, torment, agony

2. Often sufferings. something suffered by a person or a group of people; pain.

   the sorrows and sufferings of our poorest citizens.

suffering

/ ˈsʌfrɪŋ, ˈsʌfərɪŋ /

noun

1. the pain, misery, or loss experienced by a person who suffers

2. the state or an instance of enduring pain, etc

Other Word Forms

• sufferingly adverb
• unsuffering adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of suffering¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; suffer + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Harnett, suffering from several health issues, died about five years later, at age 44.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

They also want rules on the use of artificial intelligence and better conditions for freelancers, who the federation says are suffering low-paid "exploitation" as employers axe full-time contracts.

Read more on Barron's

They said he is, pale, underweight and is suffering from conditions contracted in captivity.

Read more on BBC

China’s property sector, once a driver of the country’s economic growth, has been in a yearslong slump, with many major property developers suffering liquidity crises and defaulting on their debts.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"We are suffering the pangs of growth because India knows how to handle poverty, not prosperity."

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• adversity 
• anguish 
• difficulty 
• discomfort 
• hardship 
• misery 
• misfortune 
• ordeal 
• torment 
• torture