suffer
verbUK /ˈsʌfə/ · US /ˈsʌfɚ/
Etymology From Middle English suffren, from Anglo-Norman suffrir, from Latin sufferre (“to offer, hold up, bear, suffer”), from sub- (“up, under”) + ferō (“to carry”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- (“to bear, carry”). Displaced native Old English þrōwian.
1
To undergo hardship.
- Many artists suffer before becoming famous.
2
To feel pain.
- At least he didn't suffer when he died in the car crash.
3
To become worse.
- If you keep partying like this, your school-work will suffer.
- Our correspondent found that timekeeping had suffered following the substitution of Class 5 4-6-0s on these workings.1961 October, “Motive Power Miscellany: Scottish Region”, in Trains Illustrated, page 638:
4
To endure, undergo.
- I've been suffering your insults for years.
- We hope you never have to suffer the same pain.
2 more examples
- If you may pleaſe to thinke I loue the King, / And through him, what’s neereſt to him, which is / Your gracious ſelfe; embrace but my direction, / If your more ponderous and ſetled proiect may ſuffer alteration.c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:
- Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return.2013 July 6, “The rise of smart beta”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8843, archived from the original on 01 May 2024, page 68:
- Thou shalt not suffer a witch to liue.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 22:18:
- But Iesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not to come vnto me: for of such is þe kingdome of heauen.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 19:14:
3 more examples
- These constitute the important inflectional changes that have taken place in Modern English. There are other grammatical changes, mostly syntactical in their nature, into which the limits of this work do not suffer us to enter.1879, Thomas Raynesford Lounsbury, History of the English Language, page 134:
- "Employ" includes to suffer or permit to work.1938, The U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. § 203
- […] it shall be unlawful for any person to cause, allow, permit or suffer any vehicle to be parked […] beyond the period of time established by the duration of the parking meter […]1978, Section 31-36 of the Code of Montgomery County, Maryland
- Derived terms
- insufferable, outsuffer, sufferability, sufferable, sufferance, suffer by comparison, sufferer, sufferfest, suffer fools gladly, gladly suffer fools, suffer from, suffering, suffer in silence, the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must, unsufferable, unsuffered