Suffer

Pronunciation: /ˈsʌfər/

Definitions of suffer

verb to experience or undergo pain, distress, or hardship

Example Sentences

A1 She suffers from a headache.

A2 Many people suffer from allergies in the spring.

B1 The workers suffered from poor working conditions.

B2 The athlete suffered a serious injury during the game.

C1 The country suffered a major economic crisis.

C2 The community suffered greatly after the natural disaster.

Examples of suffer in a Sentence

formal Many people around the world suffer from chronic illnesses.

informal I heard that Sarah has been suffering from a bad cold all week.

slang I can't believe I have to suffer through another boring lecture.

figurative The team's performance suffered greatly after their star player got injured.

Grammatical Forms of suffer

• past tense: suffered
• plural: suffer
• comparative: more suffer
• superlative: most suffer
• present tense: suffers
• future tense: will suffer
• perfect tense: has suffered
• continuous tense: is suffering
• singular: suffers
• positive degree: suffer
• infinitive: to suffer
• gerund: suffering
• participle: suffered

Origin and Evolution of suffer

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'suffer' originated from the Latin word 'sufferre', which is a combination of 'sub-' (under) and 'ferre' (to bear).

Evolution of the word: Originally used in the context of enduring pain or hardship, the word 'suffer' has evolved to encompass a broader range of meanings including allowing or permitting something, as well as experiencing something negative or unpleasant.