suffer
pronunciation
How to pronounce suffer in British English:
UK [ˈsʌfə(r)]
How to pronounce suffer in American English:
US [ˈsʌfər]
-
- Verb:
- undergo or be subjected to
- undergo (as of injuries and illnesses)
- endure (emotional pain)
- put up with something or somebody unpleasant
- get worse
- feel pain or be in pain
- feel physical pain
- undergo or suffer
- feel unwell or uncomfortable
- be given to
- be set at a disadvantage
Word Origin
- suffer
- suffer: [13] To suffer something is etymologically to ‘hold it up from underneath’, to ‘sustain’ it’. The word comes via Anglo-Norman suffrir from Vulgar Latin *sufferīre, an alteration of Latin sufferre ‘sustain’. This was a compound verb formed from the prefix sub- ‘up from underneath’ and ferre ‘carry’ (a relative of English bear). The word’s modern meaning evolved from ‘sustain’ via ‘undergo’ and ‘undergo something unpleasant’ to ‘endure’.=> bear
- suffer (v.)
- mid-13c., "allow to occur or continue, permit, tolerate, fail to prevent or suppress," also "to be made to undergo, endure, be subjected to" (pain, death, punishment, judgment, grief), from Anglo-French suffrir, Old French sofrir "bear, endure, resist; permit, tolerate, allow" (Modern French souffrir), from Vulgar Latin *sufferire, variant of Latin sufferre "to bear, undergo, endure, carry or put under," from sub "up, under" (see sub-) + ferre "to carry" (see infer). Replaced Old English þolian, þrowian. Meaning "submit meekly to" is from early 14c. Meaning "undergo, be subject to, be affected by, experience; be acted on by an agent" is from late 14c. Related: Suffered; sufferer; suffering. Suffering ______! as an exclamation is attested from 1859.
Example
- 1. Apple is unlikely to suffer a similar fate .
- 2. But the government will suffer nonetheless .
- 3. We all must suffer , we all must die .
- 4. I just don 't want my family to suffer .
- 5. The truth is that the poor will suffer .