Synonyms

tolerate

American

[tol-uh-reyt] / ˈtɒl əˌreɪt /

verb (used with object)

to allow the existence, presence, practice, or act of without prohibition or hindrance; permit.
to endure without repugnance; put up with.

I can tolerate laziness, but not incompetence.

Synonyms:

accept, support
Medicine/Medical. to endure or resist the action of (a drug, poison, etc.).
Obsolete. to experience, undergo, or sustain, as pain or hardship.

tolerate British

/ ˈtɒləˌreɪt /

verb

to treat with indulgence, liberality, or forbearance
to permit
to be able to bear; put up with
med to have tolerance for (a drug, poison, etc)

"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

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Etymology

Origin of tolerate

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin tolerātus “borne,” past participle of tolerāre “to bear”; akin to thole ²

Explanation

The verb tolerate means "to put up with or allow." You can tolerate your sister's love of Broadway musicals but really, you prefer dramas. Think of tolerate as the open-minded verb. It means you allow something to happen or exist, even if you don't really like it. For example, you don't like your neighbor's loud music but you tolerate because he only blasts it on Saturday afternoons. Scientifically speaking, when your body can tolerate a drug, poison or even pollution, it means you aren't harmed by it.

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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.

New Yorkers have had to tolerate a long line of incompetent or ideologically challenged mayors in the past, especially the recent past, yet the city and its people have survived.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 7, 2026

The Framers of the 14th Amendment sought to ensure that the United States would never again tolerate an underclass of people denied full equality by accident of birth.

From Slate • Jun. 30, 2026

Prof Todd said: "Compared to other microbes, pseudomonads carry specialized genes that help them tolerate high salt levels, including sodium transport systems and other stress-resistance mechanisms."

From Science Daily • Jun. 29, 2026

Decide “how much concentration you’ll tolerate and at what point you’ll trim, then automate it so the decision is already made when emotions run hot,” Crosby said.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 23, 2026

Brenda Lewis was a former Montgomery police officer who joined us after seeing more abuses of power than she could tolerate at the police department.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

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