# suffer from sth

CEFR B1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/suffer-from-sth
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to experience physical or mental pain because of a specific illness or problem.

For teachers: to be affected by a specific disease, medical condition, or persistent negative state; typically used with chronic or long-term issues.

## Examples

- Many people suffer from hay fever in the spring.
- He has suffered from back pain ever since he started working at a desk all day.
- The local economy continues to suffer from a lack of investment and the decline of the manufacturing sector.

## Pitfalls

- Not "She is suffering of a cold." but "She is suffering from a cold." — the verb 'suffer' always collocates with the preposition 'from' when identifying the cause of the distress.

## Usage notes

- the object is usually a disease, a condition, or a systemic problem.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'suffer' used alone (to experience pain in general); 'suffer from' requires a specific cause or diagnosis as the object.

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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.