Suffer — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb /ˈsə-fər/ suf·fer

Meaning & Definition of Suffer

Suffer (verb)

  1. to submit to or be forced to endure
  2. to feel keenly, labor under
  3. undergo, experience

Suffer (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to come to a knowledge of (something) by living through it

    "willingly suffered hardships so that their children would have a better life"

    similar: endure, experience, feel, have, know, pass, see, sustain, taste, undergo, witness, go through
    related: encounter, meet, accept, receive, assimilate, digest

  2. to feel deep sadness or mental pain

    "the husband suffered deeply at the mere suggestion that he had been unfaithful"

    similar: agonize, anguish, bleed, grieve, hurt, mourn, sorrow, eat one's heart out, tear one's hair
    related: ache, long (for), pine (away), sigh, smart, rack, torment, torture, bemoan, bewail, deplore, lament, rue, bawl, blubber, cry, groan, howl, keen, moan, sob, take on, wail, weep, yammer, yowl, languish, regret
    near: beam, cheer, crow, delight, exult, glory, joy, laugh, ravish, rejoice, triumph, assure, comfort, commiserate, console, reassure, solace, soothe, sympathize

  3. to give permission for or to approve of

    "contends that the death penalty is something that no civilized society should suffer"

    similar: allow, green-light, have, permit, stand for
    related: authorize, commission, license, accede (to), acquiesce, agree (to), assent (to), consent (to), OK, warrant, accord, concede, grant, sanction, vouchsafe, admit, brook, condone, countenance, endure, support, tolerate
    opposite: ban, enjoin, forbid, prohibit, proscribe, veto
    near: hinder, impede, obstruct, censure, deny, disallow, disapprove, interdict, refuse, reject, revoke, suppress, withhold, deplore, discountenance, disfavor, dislike, frown (at or on), grudge, check, curb, keep, repress, restrain

  4. to fail to prevent (some behavior on someone's part) especially from neglect or indifference

    "I will not suffer you to insult me so!"

    similar: allow, let, permit, tolerate, put up with
    related: brush (aside or off), condone, disregard, ignore, overlook, shrug off, wink (at), excuse, forgive, pardon, brook, cater (to), give in (to), humor, indulge
    opposite: bar, block, constrain, prevent
    near: forbid, prohibit, curb, deter, discourage, frustrate, hold back, impede, inhibit, interfere (with)

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Suffer

The most common words with a similar meaning to Suffer:

endure, experience, feel, have, know, pass, see, sustain, taste, undergo, witness, agonize, anguish, bleed, grieve, hurt, mourn, sorrow, allow, green-light, permit, let, tolerate, go through, eat one's heart out, tear one's hair, stand for, put up with

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Suffer

Words with the opposite meaning of Suffer:

ban, enjoin, forbid, prohibit, proscribe, veto, bar, block, constrain, prevent

Related Words for Suffer

encounter, meet, accept, receive, assimilate, digest, ache, long (for), pine (away), sigh, smart, rack, torment, torture, bemoan, bewail, deplore, lament, rue, bawl, blubber, cry, groan, howl, keen, moan, sob, take on, wail, weep

Near Antonyms of Suffer

beam, cheer, crow, delight, exult, glory, joy, laugh, ravish, rejoice, triumph, assure, comfort, commiserate, console, reassure, solace, soothe, sympathize, hinder, impede, obstruct, censure, deny, disallow, disapprove, interdict, refuse, reject, revoke

Word Forms of Suffer

Inflections: suffered, suffering

Derived words: sufferable (adjective), sufferableness (noun), sufferably (adverb), sufferer (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Suffer

Middle English sufferen, suffren, borrowed from Anglo-French suffrir, going back to Vulgar Latin *sufferīre, re-formation of Latin sufferre "to submit to, endure," from suf-, assimilated form of sub- sub- + ferre "to carry, bear" bear:2

First known use: 13th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Suffer

Words & Phrases Containing Suffer

suffer fools gladly, suffer in silence, suffer the consequences

Frequently Asked Questions about Suffer

What does "Suffer" mean?

"Suffer" means to submit to or be forced to endure. As a verb, it is defined as: to submit to or be forced to endure. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Suffer"?

Other words for "Suffer" include endure, experience, feel, have, know, pass, see and sustain. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Suffer" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Suffer"?

There are 95 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Suffer". Common alternatives include endure, experience, feel, have, know, pass, see, sustain, taste and undergo.

What is the opposite of "Suffer"?

Antonyms of "Suffer" include ban, enjoin, forbid, prohibit, proscribe, veto, bar and block. Near antonyms include beam, cheer, crow and delight.

How do you use "Suffer" in a sentence?

Examples of "Suffer" in a sentence: "willingly suffered hardships so that their children would have a better life"; "the husband suffered deeply at the mere suggestion that he had been unfaithful"; "contends that the death penalty is something that no civilized society should suffer".

Is "Suffer" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Suffer" is a verb.

Is "Suffer" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Suffer" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Suffer"?

"Suffer" is pronounced /ˈsə-fər/ and divided into syllables as suf·fer.