Suffer
verb Base: suffer | Past: suffered | Past Participle: suffered | -ing: suffering | 3rd person: suffers
Definition
1. To experience physical or mental pain.
2. To have a particular illness or medical condition.
3. To experience something bad or unpleasant.
4. To become worse in quality.
5. To allow or permit something.
2. To have a particular illness or medical condition.
3. To experience something bad or unpleasant.
4. To become worse in quality.
5. To allow or permit something.
Context Alive
The old man sat quietly by the window, staring at the rain. He had been suffering from back pain for months but refused to complain. His daughter noticed and finally convinced him to see a doctor that afternoon.
Meanings
5 meanings 1 To Experience Physical or Mental Pain (Verb) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about feeling real pain — in your body or in your mind. Imagine someone going through a painful divorce, unable to sleep, unable to eat, just feeling miserable every single day. They are suffering — experiencing deep emotional pain. This is suffering at its most basic — hurting inside or outside. You might say “she suffered terribly after losing her mother” or “at least he didn’t suffer — it was very quick.” Or picture a child crying after falling off a bike, with a bleeding knee that really stings. The word points to genuine pain that someone is going through. ✏️ “Suffer in silence” is a very common expression — it means to endure pain or unhappiness without telling anyone or complaining.
Vivid ExampleAfter the breakup, he tried to act normal around his friends. But inside he was suffering more than anyone realised. It took months before he started feeling like himself again.
2 To Have a Particular Illness or Medical Condition (Verb) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about living with a disease or health problem, often for a long time. Imagine a colleague who always carries an inhaler and avoids dusty rooms. She suffers from asthma and has dealt with it since childhood. This is suffering from a condition — having it as part of your life. You might hear “he suffers from severe migraines” or “my grandmother suffered from arthritis for years.” Or think about a friend who suffers from anxiety and finds crowded places really difficult. The word suggests an ongoing struggle with a health issue. ✏️ Always used with “from” for illnesses — “suffer from diabetes,” “suffer from depression.” In everyday speech, people often just say “have” instead — “she has asthma.”
Vivid ExampleThe singer cancelled her entire tour last summer. She had been suffering from exhaustion and needed complete rest. Her fans sent thousands of supportive messages while she recovered.
3 To Experience Something Bad or Unpleasant (Verb) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about going through a negative event or situation — like a defeat, a loss, or a setback. Imagine a football team that suffers a humiliating 5-0 defeat in front of their home crowd. This is suffering something bad — it happens to you and you have to deal with it. You might read “the company suffered huge losses last quarter” or “she suffered a broken leg in the accident.” Or picture a country that suffers a devastating earthquake and needs years to rebuild. The word suggests something painful that hits you, not something you choose. ✏️ Very common collocations include: suffer a defeat, suffer losses, suffer damage, suffer injuries, suffer the consequences.
Vivid ExampleThe business had been growing steadily for five years. Then it suffered a major financial blow when its biggest client pulled out. The team had to completely rethink their strategy to survive.
4 To Become Worse in Quality (Verb) Common ▼
This meaning is about something declining or getting worse because of a problem. Imagine a student who gets a part-time job working late nights. Her grades start to suffer because she’s too tired to study properly. This is suffering — the quality drops because something is pulling attention away. You might say “his work suffered when he started drinking” or “the project suffered because of poor communication.” Or think about a restaurant where the food suffers after the head chef leaves. The word suggests that something was fine before but is now declining. ✏️ This meaning doesn’t involve pain — it’s about quality going down. “My sleep is suffering” means your sleep is getting worse, not that your sleep feels pain.
Vivid ExampleHe took on too many projects at the same time. His attention to detail started to suffer as he rushed to meet every deadline. His manager finally told him to focus on fewer tasks.
5 To Allow or Permit Something (Verb) Less Common ▼
This meaning is about allowing or tolerating something — it’s old-fashioned and mostly found in literature or religious texts. You know when you read a classic novel and a character says something like “I will not suffer this insult”? This is using suffer to mean “allow” or “tolerate.” You might read in old texts “suffer the children to come to me” or “she would not suffer anyone to speak against her family.” Or picture a proud king in a story who refuses to suffer disrespect from his advisors. The word feels very formal and dramatic. ✏️ The famous expression “not suffer fools gladly” comes from this meaning — it describes someone who has no patience for stupid people or behaviour.
Vivid ExampleThe professor was brilliant but had very little patience. She did not suffer lazy students who came to class unprepared. Everyone knew they had to do the reading or face her sharp questions.
Examples from the Street
“She’s been suffering from migraines for years — nothing seems to help.”
She’s been experiencing severe headaches for a long time — no treatment appears to make any difference
“His work is really suffering because he’s trying to do too many things at once.”
The quality of his output is declining noticeably because he’s attempting to handle too many tasks simultaneously
“I don’t suffer fools gladly — if you waste my time, I’ll tell you.”
I have no patience for stupid or incompetent people — if you’re wasting my time, I’ll let you know directly
Common Patterns
suffer from something (an illness/condition) → experience an ongoing medical problem or difficulty
suffer pain/injuries/burns → experience physical harm
suffer in silence → endure pain or difficulty without complaining or telling anyone
suffer greatly/terribly/enormously → experience a very high level of pain or hardship
suffer alone → go through difficulty without support from others
make someone suffer → deliberately cause someone pain or distress
suffer a loss/defeat/setback → experience something negative that damages progress
suffer the consequences → face the negative results of your actions
suffer damage/harm → be harmed or negatively affected
suffer a blow → receive a damaging piece of news or experience
suffer a heart attack/stroke → have a sudden, serious medical emergency
work/performance/quality suffers → the standard of something drops because of negative circumstances
grades/relationships/health suffers → a specific area of life deteriorates due to a problem
something is bound to suffer → something will inevitably decline because of the situation
not suffer fools (gladly) → have no patience for stupid or incompetent people
suffer something → endure or put up with something unpleasant (formal/literary)
Collocations
4 collocationssuffer the consequences
experience the negative results of actions
suffer in silence
endure pain without complaining
suffer a loss
experience the death of someone close
suffer from
be affected by an illness or condition
Example Sentences
12 examples
1
She’s suffered from asthma since she was a child, but she’s learned to manage it well
She’s experienced breathing difficulties since she was young, but she’s become skilled at controlling the condition effectively.
2
Thousands of people suffer in silence with mental health problems because they’re afraid to ask for help
A huge number of individuals endure psychological difficulties without speaking up because they’re scared of seeking support.
3
He suffered a heart attack while jogging in the park and was rushed to hospital by ambulance
He experienced a sudden, serious cardiac event while running in the green space and was transported urgently to the medical centre by emergency vehicle.
4
The team suffered a humiliating defeat in front of their home fans
The side experienced an embarrassing loss in front of their own supporters at their home ground.
5
If you keep ignoring the problem, you’ll suffer the consequences eventually
If you continue to pay no attention to the issue, you’ll face the negative outcomes sooner or later.
6
Her social life suffered enormously when she started working seventy-hour weeks
Her personal relationships and free time deteriorated dramatically when she began putting in extremely long hours at her job.
7
The building suffered significant damage during the storm but was still structurally sound
The structure sustained considerable harm during the severe weather but remained safe from a structural perspective.
8
He’s brilliant at his job, but he doesn’t suffer fools gladly — junior staff are terrified of him
He’s outstanding at what he does professionally, but he has absolutely no patience for incompetent people — newer employees are frightened of him.
9
The local economy suffered a major blow when the factory closed and 800 jobs were lost
The area’s financial health received serious damage when the manufacturing plant shut down and eight hundred positions were eliminated.
10
If you try to juggle too many commitments, something is bound to suffer — usually your health
If you attempt to manage too many responsibilities at once, something will inevitably decline — typically your physical wellbeing.
Learner Examples
★
Students who suffer from exam anxiety often know the material perfectly well — it’s the pressure of the test situation that causes them to freeze
Learners who experience nervousness around assessments frequently understand the content thoroughly — it’s the stressful environment of the examination that makes them unable to respond.
★
When students take on too many subjects, their performance in every class suffers — focus and depth always beat breadth
When learners attempt to study too many disciplines, the quality of their work across all of them declines — concentration and thoroughness always produce better results than trying to cover everything.
Phrasal Verbs & Idioms
4 items
Phrasal Verbssuffer from — be affected by something negative
He suffers from terrible headaches during the winter months.
suffer through — endure a difficult experience
We all suffered through two hours of boring speeches.
Idioms & Expressionssuffer in silence — endure pain without complaining
She suffered in silence for years before asking for help.
not suffer fools gladly — be intolerant of stupid people
The professor does not suffer fools gladly in her classroom.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymsendure
bear pain
go through
experience difficulty
experience
live through
bear
carry a burden
Antonymsenjoy
have a good time
thrive
do well