Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Patiently enduring prolonged hardship or provocation: Describes a person or their disposition that bears continual difficulties, wrongs, or troubles without complaint or anger over a long period.

2. Noun:

   • Patient endurance of pain or unhappiness: The quality or act of tolerating suffering or adversity with patience and without resentment.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • She was a long-suffering employee who tolerated the chaotic management for years.
  • His long-suffering attitude helped him survive the difficult times.

• Noun:

  • Her long-suffering finally ended when she found a better job.
  • The story is a testament to human long-suffering and resilience.

Advanced Usage

• Used to describe a characteristic of a person, often implying a degree of virtue or stoicism in the face of persistent adversity.
  • The long-suffering fans remained loyal to the team despite decades of poor performance.

Variants and Related Words

• Long-sufferingly (adverb): In a long-suffering manner.
  • He sighed long-sufferingly as he explained the rule for the tenth time.

Synonyms

• Forbearing: Showing patience and tolerance.
• Patient: Able to accept or tolerate delays, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious.
• Stoical: Enduring pain and hardship without showing feelings or complaining.
• Resigned: Having accepted something unpleasant that one cannot change.

Antonyms

• Impatient: Having or showing a tendency to be quickly irritated or provoked.
• Intolerant: Not willing to accept views, beliefs, or behavior that differ from one's own.
• Complaining: Expressing dissatisfaction or annoyance about something.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• The patience of Job: An idiom referring to extreme patience and long-suffering, derived from the biblical figure.
  • It would take the patience of Job to deal with that customer's constant demands.

Noun

1. patient endurance of pain or unhappiness

Adjective

1. patiently bearing continual wrongs or trouble
   • an enduring disposition
   • a long-suffering and uncomplaining wife