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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

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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