suffer
- 01 B1 Intermediate
to feel physical pain or great sadness.
to experience physical or mental pain, distress, or hardship. Often used with the preposition 'from' to indicate the cause.
Simple“Many people suffer from seasonal allergies during the spring months.”
In context“The patient continued to suffer from chronic back pain despite undergoing several rounds of physical therapy and medication.”
UsageCommonly takes the preposition 'from' when referring to a disease or condition.
PitfallHe is suffering a headache. He is suffering from a headache.When describing a medical condition or persistent pain, use 'suffer from'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
to experience something unpleasant, like a loss or a defeat.
to undergo or be subjected to something detrimental or unpleasant. Transitive in this sense, taking a direct object like 'loss' or 'defeat'.
Simple“The company suffered a huge financial loss after the new product failed.”
In context“The battalion suffered heavy casualties during the initial assault, forcing the commander to order a tactical withdrawal.”
UsageFunctions transitively when the object is a specific event like 'a loss', 'a defeat', or 'an injury'.
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
to lose quality or become less effective because of a problem.
to deteriorate in quality, condition, or effectiveness as a result of neglect or adverse circumstances.
Simple“His schoolwork began to suffer because he spent too much time playing games.”
In context“The quality of the restaurant's service has suffered since the original manager retired last year.”
UsageIntransitive; the subject is usually the thing that is declining in quality.
Synonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
to allow or permit something to happen.
to tolerate, allow, or permit. This usage is restricted to formal, legal, or scriptural contexts.
Simple“The old laws would not suffer such behavior in public places.”
In context“The magistrate refused to suffer any further interruptions from the gallery during the witness testimony.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is rare in modern speech; learners will mostly encounter it in the Bible or historical legal texts.
Usage suffered serious · suffer heat-related · individual suffer
From Middle English suffren, from Anglo-Norman suffrir, from Latin sufferre (“to offer, hold up, bear, suffer”), from sub- (“up, under”) + ferō (“I carry”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- (“to bear, carry”). Displaced native Old English þrōwian.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.