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tolerate

[ tol-uh-reyt ]
/ ˈtɒl əˌreɪt /
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See synonyms for: tolerate / tolerated / tolerates / tolerating on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object), tol·er·at·ed, tol·er·at·ing.
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.
Medicine/Medical. to endure or resist the action of (a drug, poison, etc.).
Obsolete. to experience, undergo, or sustain, as pain or hardship.
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Origin of tolerate

1525–35; <Latin tolerātus, past participle of tolerāre to bear (akin to thole2); see -ate1

OTHER WORDS FROM tolerate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to tolerate

abide, accept, brook, condone, countenance, endure, permit, stand for, admit, authorize, bear, go, have, hear, humor, pocket, receive, sanction, stand, stomach

How to use tolerate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tolerate

tolerate
/ (ˈtɒləˌreɪt) /
verb (tr)
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)

Derived forms of tolerate

tolerative, adjectivetolerator, noun

Word Origin for tolerate

C16: from Latin tolerāre sustain; related to thole ²
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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