suffer

/'sʌfə/
Học thuật
Thân thiện
suffer

The patient suffers from a headache.

Definition
  1. Verb:
    • To experience or be subjected to something unpleasant: This is the core meaning, indicating undergoing pain, hardship, loss, or something negative.
    • To tolerate or endure: To allow something to happen or continue, often reluctantly.
    • To become worse in quality or condition: To deteriorate or be negatively affected.
Examples of Usage
  • Verb:
    • She will suffer the consequences of her actions. (She will experience the negative results.)
    • He suffered a great loss when his friend moved away. (He experienced emotional pain.)
    • The patient is suffering from a high fever. (The patient is experiencing physical discomfort.)
    • The image quality suffers in low light. (The image quality becomes worse.)
    • I cannot suffer such rudeness in my house. (I cannot tolerate such rudeness.)
Advanced Usage
  • "to suffer from": to be chronically affected by an illness, condition, or problem.

    • He suffers from chronic back pain.
    • The company suffers from poor management.
  • "to suffer for": to experience negative consequences because of a specific cause.

    • He suffered for his beliefs. (He was punished or experienced hardship because of his beliefs.)
  • "to suffer in silence": to endure pain or hardship without complaining or telling others.

    • She chose to suffer in silence rather than ask for help.
Variants and Related Words
  • Sufferer (n): a person who suffers, especially from a disease.

    • Support groups can help sufferers of the same illness.
  • Suffering (n): the state of undergoing pain, distress, or hardship.

    • The documentary showed the suffering caused by the war.
  • Sufferable (adj): able to be endured; tolerable.

    • The heat was just barely sufferable.
Synonyms
  • Endure: to suffer patiently.
  • Undergo: to experience something, especially something unpleasant.
  • Tolerate: to allow the existence or occurrence of something without interference.
  • Bear: to carry the weight of; to endure.
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Suffer through: to endure an unpleasant experience for its duration.
    • We had to suffer through a very long and boring lecture.
Related Idioms
  • Not suffer fools gladly: to be impatient or intolerant of people one considers stupid or foolish.

    • The professor is brilliant but does not suffer fools gladly.
  • Suffer a setback: to experience a reversal or check in progress.

    • The research project suffered a setback when the funding was cut.
suffer

The patient suffers from a headache.

Verb
  1. be set at a disadvantage
    • This author really suffers in translation
  2. undergo or suffer
    • meet a violent death
    • suffer a terrible fate
  3. be given to
    • She suffers from a tendency to talk too much
  4. feel unwell or uncomfortable
    • She is suffering from the hot weather
  5. feel physical pain
    • Were you hurting after the accident?
  6. feel pain or be in pain
  7. get worse
    • His grades suffered
  8. put up with something or somebody unpleasant
    • I cannot bear his constant criticism
    • The new secretary had to endure a lot of unprofessional remarks
    • he learned to tolerate the heat
    • She stuck out two years in a miserable marriage
  9. experience (emotional) pain
    • Every time her husband gets drunk, she suffers
  10. undergo (as of injuries and illnesses)
    • She suffered a fracture in the accident
    • He had an insulin shock after eating three candy bars
    • She got a bruise on her leg
    • He got his arm broken in the scuffle
  11. undergo or be subjected to
    • He suffered the penalty
    • Many saints suffered martyrdom