Suffering — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective verb /ˈsə-f(ə-)riŋ/ suf·fer·ing

Meaning & Definition of Suffering

Suffering (noun)

  1. the state or experience of one that suffers
  2. pain

Suffering (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in sad, miserable

    similar: distressed, grieving, melancholy, miserable, mournful, mourning, sad, sorrowing, unhappy, upset, orphaned, widowed, bemoaning, crying, lamenting, wailing, weeping, bereaved, bereft

Suffering (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in pain, agony

    similar: agony, distress, pain, torment, affliction, anguish, dolefulness, dolor, grief, heartache, heartbreak, sorriness, sorrow, woe, blue devils, blues, dejection, depression, desolateness, desolation, despair, despondence, despondency, disconsolateness, dispiritedness, doldrums, downheartedness, dreariness, dumps, forlornness, gloom, gloominess, glumness, heartsickness, joylessness, melancholy, miserableness, misery, mopes, oppression, sorrowfulness, unhappiness, woefulness, wretchedness, contrition, guilt, regret, remorse, rue, self-reproach, shame, melancholia, self-pity
    opposite: blessedness, bliss, blissfulness, cheer, cheerfulness, cheeriness, delight, ecstasy, elatedness, elation, euphoria, exhilaration, exuberance, exultation, felicity, gladness, gladsomeness, glee, gleefulness, happiness, joy, joyfulness, joyousness, jubilation, pleasure, rapture, rapturousness, gaiety, gayness, humor, jollity, joviality, lightheartedness, merriment, merrymaking, mirth, mirthfulness, hopefulness, optimism, sunniness, enjoyment, content, contentedness, contentment

Suffering (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: enduring, experiencing, feeling, having, knowing, passing, seeing, sustaining, tasting, undergoing, witnessing, going through
    related: encountering, meeting, accepting, receiving, assimilating, digesting

  2. to feel deep sadness or mental pain

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

    similar: agonizing, anguishing, bleeding, grieving, hurting, mourning, sorrowing, eating one's heart out, tearing one's hair
    related: aching, longing (for), pining (away), sighing, smarting, racking, tormenting, torturing, bemoaning, bewailing, deploring, lamenting, ruing, bawling, blubbering, crying, groaning, howling, keening, moaning, sobbing, taking on, wailing, weeping, yammering, yowling, languishing, regretting
    near: beaming, cheering, crowing, delighting, exulting, glorying, joying, laughing, ravishing, rejoicing, triumphing, assuring, comforting, commiserating, consoling, reassuring, solacing, soothing, sympathizing

  3. to give permission for or to approve of

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

    similar: allowing, green-lighting, having, permitting, standing for
    related: authorizing, commissioning, licensing, acceding (to), acquiescing, agreeing (to), assenting (to), consenting (to), OK'ing, warranting, according, conceding, granting, sanctioning, vouchsafing, admitting, brooking, condoning, countenancing, enduring, supporting, tolerating
    opposite: banning, enjoining, forbidding, prohibiting, proscribing, vetoing
    near: hindering, impeding, obstructing, censuring, denying, disallowing, disapproving, interdicting, refusing, rejecting, revoking, suppressing, withholding, deploring, discountenancing, disfavoring, disliking, frowning (at or on), grudging, checking, curbing, keeping, repressing, restraining

  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: allowing, letting, permitting, tolerating, putting up with
    related: brushing (aside or off), condoning, disregarding, ignoring, overlooking, shrugging off, winking (at), excusing, forgiving, pardoning, brooking, catering (to), giving in (to), humoring, indulging
    opposite: barring, blocking, constraining, preventing
    near: forbidding, prohibiting, curbing, deterring, discouraging, frustrating, holding back, impeding, inhibiting, interfering (with)

Related Entry: Suffer (verb)

Suffer is a different word from Suffering. The synonyms below are for suffer, not for suffering.

  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)

Related Entry: Long-suffering (adjective)

Long-suffering is a different word from Suffering. The synonyms below are for long-suffering, not for suffering.

  1. accepting pains or hardships calmly or without complaint

    "the long-suffering parents calmly waited until the tantrum had passed"

    similar: forbearing, patient, stoic, tolerant, uncomplaining
    related: lenient, acquiescent, passive, resigned, unresistant, yielding, agreeable, amenable, compliant, complying, conformist, docile, law-abiding, obedient, placable, submissive, subordinate, tractable, willing, slavish, subservient, amiable, obliging, collected, composed, constrained, contained, curbed, inhibited, repressed, restrained, disciplined, self-contained, self-controlled, apathetic, uncaring, unresponsive
    opposite: complaining, fed up, impatient, kvetching, kvetchy, protesting
    near: bored, tired, weary, defiant, resistant, contrary, disobedient, insubordinate, intractable, rebellious, recalcitrant, refractory, ungovernable, unmanageable, unruly

Related Entry: Long-suffering (noun)

Long-suffering is a different word from Suffering. The synonyms below are for long-suffering, not for suffering.

  1. the capacity to endure what is difficult or disagreeable without complaining

    "you will need infinite long-suffering to put up with that arrogant jerk"

    similar: forbearance, patience, sufferance, tolerance
    related: acquiescence, resignation, passiveness, passivity, amenability, compliance, conformism, docility, obedience, subordination, tractability, willingness, discipline, self-control, submission, submissiveness
    opposite: impatience
    near: defiance, contrariness, disobedience, insubordination, intractability, recalcitrance, resistance, willfulness

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Suffering

The most common words with a similar meaning to Suffering:

distressed, grieving, melancholy, miserable, mournful, mourning, sad, sorrowing, unhappy, upset, orphaned, widowed, bemoaning, crying, lamenting, wailing, weeping, bereaved, bereft, agony, distress, pain, torment, affliction, anguish, dolefulness, dolor, grief, heartache, heartbreak, sorriness, sorrow, woe, blue devils, blues, dejection, depression, desolateness, desolation, despair

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Suffering

Words with the opposite meaning of Suffering:

blessedness, bliss, blissfulness, cheer, cheerfulness, cheeriness, delight, ecstasy, elatedness, elation, euphoria, exhilaration, exuberance, exultation, felicity, gladness, gladsomeness, glee, gleefulness, happiness, joy, joyfulness, joyousness, jubilation, pleasure, rapture, rapturousness, gaiety, gayness, humor

Related Words for Suffering

encountering, meeting, accepting, receiving, assimilating, digesting, aching, longing (for), pining (away), sighing, smarting, racking, tormenting, torturing, bewailing, deploring, ruing, bawling, blubbering, groaning, howling, keening, moaning, sobbing, taking on, yammering, yowling, languishing, regretting, authorizing

Near Antonyms of Suffering

beaming, cheering, crowing, delighting, exulting, glorying, joying, laughing, ravishing, rejoicing, triumphing, assuring, comforting, commiserating, consoling, reassuring, solacing, soothing, sympathizing, hindering, impeding, obstructing, censuring, denying, disallowing, disapproving, interdicting, refusing, rejecting, revoking

Origin & Etymology of Suffering

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Suffering

Words & Phrases Containing Suffering

long-suffering

Frequently Asked Questions about Suffering

What does "Suffering" mean?

"Suffering" means the state or experience of one that suffers. As an a noun, an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: the state or experience of one that suffers. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Suffering"?

Other words for "Suffering" include distressed, grieving, melancholy, miserable, mournful, mourning, sad and sorrowing. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Suffering" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Suffering"?

There are 158 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Suffering". Common alternatives include distressed, grieving, melancholy, miserable, mournful, mourning, sad, sorrowing, unhappy and upset.

What is the opposite of "Suffering"?

Antonyms of "Suffering" include blessedness, bliss, blissfulness, cheer, cheerfulness, cheeriness, delight and ecstasy. Near antonyms include beaming, cheering, crowing and delighting.

How do you use "Suffering" in a sentence?

Examples of "Suffering" 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 "Suffering" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Suffering" can be used as a noun, an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

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

As a B2-level word, "Suffering" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Suffering"?

"Suffering" is pronounced /ˈsə-f(ə-)riŋ/ and divided into syllables as suf·fer·ing.