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suffer Definition

suf·fer (sufər)

transitive verb

  1. to undergo (something painful or unpleasant, as injury, grief, a loss, etc.); be afflicted with
  2. to undergo or experience (any process, esp. change)
  3. to allow; permit; tolerate
  4. to bear up under; endure: now chiefly in negative constructions they could not suffer opposition

Etymology: ME suffren < Anglo-Fr suffrir < OFr sofrir < VL *sufferire, for L sufferre, to undergo, endure < sub-, sub- + ferre, to bear

intransitive verb

  1. to experience pain, harm, loss, a penalty, etc.
  2. to be at a disadvantage my grades suffer by comparison with yours
  3. Archaic to tolerate or endure evil, injury, etc.

suffer Related Forms
suf·ferer noun
suffer Synonyms

suffer

v.

  1. To feel pain

    undergo, experience, ache, smart, be in pain, be wounded, agonize, grieve, be racked, be convulsed, languish, droop, flag, sicken, endure torture, get it in the neck, look green about the gills*, complain of, be affected with, go hard with, flinch at, not feel like anything, labor under; see also hurt 4.

    Antonyms recover*, be relieved, be restored.

  2. To endure

    bear, sustain, put up with; see endure 2.

  3. To permit

    allow, acquiesce, admit, let, concede, indulge, connive at, stretch a point, authorize, sanction, yield, bow, submit, tolerate; see also allow 1. See syn. study at allow, endure.

suffer Usage Examples

Object

  • injury: Hope he doesn't suffer any injuries in the meantime.
  • fate: The other group have suffered an even worse fate.
  • loss: Some people, who have suffered a loss like my character, are afraid of certain kinds of people.
  • damage: My pelvis suffered some damage from my first baby 1 year ago.
  • defeat: Last week, Blair also suffered two defeats in the Lords.
  • stroke: I would rather wear a rag on my head than suffer heat stroke!

Preposition: at

  • hand: The pirates take Syn-Jern to their island to recover from the terrible physical abuse he has suffered at the hands of his sadistic captors.

Preposition: as

  • result: The Inquiry similarly confirmed that deer and hares suffer as a result of being hunted and killed by dogs.

Noun phrase with adjective complement

  • due: Temporary memberships are also granted to people suffering short-term difficulties due to accident or surgery.

Present participle complement

  • bruise: He suffered bruising to his head and wrists, and months of mental trauma until, eventually, he left retail altogether.

Preposition: in

  • silence: The upshot of all this is just one piece of advice: don't suffer in silence.

Preposition: from

  • depression: The Novice was admitted to Hospital for two nights, suffering from severe depression.
  • illness: From his teens he suffered from a debilitating illness.
  • asthma: People who suffer from asthma should tell their dentist when they register.
  • lack: When this happens the retinal cells quickly suffer from the lack of fresh oxygen.
  • disorder: One per cent of the population suffer from bipolar effective disorder at some point in their lives.
  • allergy: This can be of special interest to crews who suffer from allergies caused by pets.

Preposition: with

  • eczema: Victoria Joanna is five years old, and from the age of six weeks she has suffered with severe eczema and subsequent skin conditions.
  • arthritis: Joan suffered with rheumatoid arthritis which had developed soon after childbirth in 1961.
  • acne: Indeed, anyone who suffers with acne may feel the reality of this statement and just how it can impact on their lives.
suffer Quotes

Better one suffer, than a nation grieve.

—Dryden,John

   Pluto" t  souffrir que mourir, C'est la devise des hommes. It is better to suffer than to die. That is the motto of mankind.

—La Fontaine,Jean de

A lui la foi, a'   elle le doute, a'   elle le fardeau le plus lourd: la femme ne souffre-t-elle pas toujours pour deux? For him, faith; for her, doubt and for her theheavier load: does not the woman always suffer for both?

—Balzac, Honore¤   de

You don't have to suffer to be a poet. Adolescence is enough.

—Cicero full name MarcusTullius Cicero

Those who have courage to love should have courage to suffer.

—Trollope, Anthony

Psychiatrists classify a person as neurotic if he suffers from his problems in living, and a psychotic if he makes others suffer.

—Szasz,Thomas Stephen

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

—Bible (NewTestament)

The humble people of Cambodia are the most wonderful in the world.Their great misfortune is that theyalwayshaveterrible leaders who makethemsuffer.I am not sure I was much better myself, but perhaps I was the least bad.

—Sihanouk, Prince Norodom

La mort ne fait jamais mal. La mort est douce† Ce qui fait souffrir avec certains poisons, certaines blessures maladroites, c'est la vie. C'est le reste de vie. Il faut se confier franchement a'   la mort comme une amie. Death never hurts. Death is sweet† Life is what makes us suffer with its poisons and awkward injuries. That's what remains of life.We must confide freely in death as we would in a friend.

—Anouilh,Jean

I have a little black book with two players in it, and if Iget a chanceto dothem Iwill.Iwill makethemsuffer before I pack this game in. If I can kick them four years over the touch-line, I will.

—Charlton,Jack (John)

A cause may be inconvenient, but it's magnificent. It's like champagne orhigh heels, and onemust be prepared to suffer for it.

—Bennett, (Enoch) Arnold

  If a man in truth will the Good then he must be willing to suffer for the Good.

—Kierkegaard, So«  ren Aabye

At times I suffer from the strangest sense of detachment from myself and the world about me; I seem to watch it all from the outside, from somewhere inconceivably remote, out of time, out of space, out of the stress and tragedy of it all.

—Wells, H(erbert) G(eorge)

Small is the worth Of beauty from the light retir'd; Bid her come forth, Suffer her self to be desir'd, And not blush to be admir'd.

—Waller, Edmund

Also say to them, that they suffre hym this day to wynne his spurres, for if god be pleased, I well this journey be his, and the honoure thereof. 300

—Edward III

I am only half there when I am ill, and so there is only half a man to suffer. To suffer in one's whole self is so great a violation, that it is not to be endured.

—Lawrence, D(avid) H(erbert)

Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, Look upon a little child; Pity my simplicity, Suffer me to come to thee.

—Wesley, Charles

Experience shows that great enterprises seldom end with a tidy and satisfactory flourish. Together, we are doingourbesttore-establishpeaceand civil order inthe Gulf region, and to help those members of civil and ethnic minorities who continuetosuffer through no fault oftheirown.If wesucceed,ourmilitarysuccesswill have achieved its true objective.

—Elizabeth II

   Endure what is difficult to endure and to suffer what is difficult to suffer.

—Hirohito

Ma bouche sera la bouche des malheurs qui n'ont point de bouche, ma voix, la liberte¤   de celles qui s'affaissent au cachot du de¤  sespoir. My voice will be the voice of those who suffer and have no voice. My voice, the freedom of those weakened in the dungeon of despair.

—Ce¤  saire, Aime¤   Fernand

Browse dictionary entries near suffer

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  3. Suez Canal
  4. Suez
  5. Suetonius
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  9. sue out
  10. sue
  1. sufferable
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  3. sufferer
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  5. suffice
  6. sufficiency
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  8. sufficient condition
  9. sufficient consideration
  10. sufficiently