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suf·fer
 suffer
- pronunciation:
- suh
f
 r
- parts of speech:
- intransitive verb, transitive verb
- features:
- Word Explorer
| part of speech: |
intransitive verb |
| inflections: |
suffered, suffering, suffers |
| definition 1: |
to experience pain, misfortune, or distress.
The wounded soldiers suffered greatly without medical attention or relief for pain.Food was in short supply, and the poorest citizens suffered the most.She frequently suffers from migraine headaches.The orphaned children suffer and try to stay alive.- synonyms:
- anguish, hurt
- similar words:
- ache, agonize, ail, grieve, languish, pain, pay, trouble
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| definition 2: |
to undergo injury, loss, or deterioration.
The plants suffered during the cold spell.Her skating performance suffered in the months after her injury.Local businesses suffered once the chain store opened.- synonyms:
- deteriorate
- antonyms:
- benefit
- similar words:
- decline, drop off, fall off, lose
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| definition 3: |
to receive punishment, esp. that of death.
His crime was great, and he suffered for it.- similar words:
- answer, pay, take the rap
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| related words: |
groan, rot, sorrow |
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| part of speech: |
transitive verb |
| definition 1: |
to endure or experience.
She suffered the loss of her husband during the war.His father suffered a heart attack last fall.- synonyms:
- endure, experience, sustain, undergo
- similar words:
- accept, bear, encounter, tolerate
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| definition 2: |
to tolerate.
I can't suffer these people who have nothing better to do than gossip.She could no longer suffer the abuse of her husband, and she made up her mind to leave.- synonyms:
- abide, bear, brook, endure, stand, stomach, tolerate
- similar words:
- accept, sustain, take, withstand
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| definition 3: |
to allow; permit.
They kindly suffered me to stay with them.- synonyms:
- allow, let, permit
- similar words:
- authorize, concede, empower, enable, sanction
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| related words: |
bemoan, brave, experience, get, labor, receive, stand, swallow |
| derivations: |
sufferable (adj.), sufferably (adv.), sufferer (n.) |
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