# endure

/ɛnˈdjʊɹ/ (US) · /ɛndjˈɔː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/endure
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to tolerate hardship

verb · CEFR B2

to experience something painful or difficult for a long time without giving up.

For teachers: to suffer through or tolerate a painful or difficult situation without yielding. Often used transitively with an object representing the hardship.

- The hikers had to endure freezing temperatures and heavy rain for three days.
- The prisoners of war were forced to endure months of isolation and physical deprivation before the diplomatic negotiations finally secured their release.

Usage: When used transitively, it takes a direct object representing the suffering or condition.

### 2. to last over time

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to continue to exist for a long time.

For teachers: to remain in existence; to last or persist through time. This sense is typically intransitive.

- The traditions of the village have endured for hundreds of years.
- Despite the collapse of the empire, many of its legal principles have endured in the modern judicial systems of Europe.

Usage: Usually functions as an intransitive verb without a direct object.

## Examples

- The runners must endure extreme heat during the race.
- The small business managed to endure the economic crisis by cutting costs and finding new customers.
- To reach the summit, the climbers had to endure freezing temperatures and oxygen levels so low that every step required a conscious effort of will.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.