suffer

UK: /ˈsʌfə^r/ US: /ˈsʌfɚ/ ,(suf′ər)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

suf•fer /ˈsʌfɚ/   v. 

1. to feel pain or great distress: [no object]
   She suffered greatly as a child.
   [~ + object]
   She suffered poverty as a child.
2. to become worse;
   deteriorate:
   [no object] My work suffers when I'm distracted.
3. to endure or be afflicted with something, such as a disease, injury, or loss: [no object]
   to suffer from Parkinson's disease.
   [~ + object]
   He suffered a sprain in his left leg.
4. to experience (any action, process, or condition):
   [~ + object] to suffer change.
5. to tolerate or allow:
   [~ + object] I do not suffer fools gladly.

suf•fer•er, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

suf•fer  (suf′ər), v.i. 

1. to undergo or feel pain or distress:
   The patient is still suffering.
2. to sustain injury, disadvantage, or loss:
   One's health suffers from overwork. The business suffers from lack of capital.
3. to undergo a penalty, as of death:
   The traitor was made to suffer on the gallows.
4. to endure pain, disability, death, etc., patiently or willingly.

v.t. 

5. to undergo, be subjected to, or endure (pain, distress, injury, loss, or anything unpleasant):
   to suffer the pangs of conscience.
6. to undergo or experience (any action, process, or condition):
   to suffer change.
7. to tolerate or allow:
   I do not suffer fools gladly.

• Vulgar Latin *sufferīre
• Latin sufferre, equivalent. to suf- suf- + ferre to bear¹; compare Old French sofrir
• Middle English suff(e)ren 1200–50

suf′fer•a•ble, adj. 
suf′fer•a•ble•ness, n. 
suf′fer•a•bly, adv. 
suf′fer•er, n. 
Synonyms

• 5. sustain.
• 7. stomach, stand, abide.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

suffer / ˈsʌfə/ verb

1. to undergo or be subjected to (pain, punishment, etc)
2. (transitive) to undergo or experience (anything): to suffer a change of management
3. (intransitive) to be set at a disadvantage: this author suffers in translation
4. (transitive) to permit (someone to do something): suffer the little children to come unto me
5. suffer from ⇒ to be ill with, esp recurrently
6. to be given to: he suffers from a tendency to exaggerate

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French soffrir, from Latin sufferre, from sub- + ferre to bear

ˈsufferer noun