Definition of SUFFER

suffer

Verb

Verb Forms: suffered, suffering, suffers

  • To experience pain, distress, or injury.
  • undergo or be subjected to
    • "He suffered the penalty"
    • "Many saints suffered martyrdom"
  • undergo (as of injuries and illnesses)
    • "She suffered a fracture in the accident"
  • experience (emotional) pain
    • "Every time her husband gets drunk, she suffers"
  • put up with something or somebody unpleasant
  • get worse
    • "His grades suffered"
  • feel pain or be in pain
  • feel physical pain
  • feel unwell or uncomfortable
    • "She is suffering from the hot weather"
  • be given to
    • "She suffers from a tendency to talk too much"
  • undergo or suffer
    • "suffer a terrible fate"
  • be set at a disadvantage
    • "This author really suffers in translation"
  • To undergo hardship.
  • To feel pain.
  • To become worse.
  • To endure, undergo.
  • To allow.

Examples

  • At least he didn't suffer when he died in the car crash.
  • He knew he would SUFFER a loss if he didn’t find a bingo soon.
  • I've been suffering your insults for years.
  • If you keep partying like this, your school-work will suffer.
  • Many artists suffer before becoming famous.
  • We hope you never have to suffer the same pain.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English suffren, from Anglo-Norman suffrir, from Latin sufferre (“to offer, hold up, bear, suffer”), from sub- (“up, under”) + ferō (“I carry”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- (“to bear, carry”). Displaced native Old English þrōwian.

Synonyms

abide, ache, bear, brook, digest, endure, get, have, hurt, lose, meet, put up, stand, stick out, stomach, support, sustain, tolerate, abear, aby, accept, agonize, allow, anguish, atrophy, bide, break down, crack, decline, degenerate, deteriorate, devolve, dree, fade, fall off, forbear, go along with, go bad, go downhill, go left, go off, go pear-shaped, go sideways, go south, go to hell, go to pot, go to seed, go to the dogs, go wrong, lapse, live with, molder, pain, pass, passion, pejorate, permit, pocket, pouch, put up with, retrograde, shrivel, spend, stick, suffer, swallow, sweal, tabefy, take, take sitting down, thole, throe, undergang, undergo, wane, wanse, wark, wither, wither away, worsen, wring

Antonyms

be well, enjoy, be pleased, luxuriate, relax

Scrabble Score: 12

suffer: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
suffer: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
suffer: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 13

suffer: valid Words With Friends Word