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Webster 1913 Edition

Suffer

Suf′fer

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Suffered
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Suffering
.]
[OE.
suffren
,
soffren
, OF.
sufrir
,
sofrir
, F.
souffrir
, (assumed) LL.
sofferire
, for L.
sufferre
;
sub
under +
ferre
to bear, akin to E.
bear
. See
Bear
to support.]
1.
To feel, or endure, with pain, annoyance, etc.; to submit to with distress or grief; to undergo;
as, to
suffer
pain of body, or grief of mind
.
2.
To endure or undergo without sinking; to support; to sustain; to bear up under.
Our spirit and strength entire,
Strongly to
suffer
and support our pains.
Milton.
3.
To undergo; to be affected by; to sustain; to experience;
as, most substances
suffer
a change when long exposed to air and moisture; to
suffer
loss or damage.
If your more ponderous and settled project
May
suffer
alteration.
Shakespeare
4.
To allow; to permit; not to forbid or hinder; to tolerate.
Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not
suffer
sin upon him.
Lev. xix. 17.
I
suffer
them to enter and possess.
Milton.
Syn. – To permit; bear; endure; support; sustain; allow; admit; tolerate. See
Permit
.

Suf′fer

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To feel or undergo pain of body or mind; to bear what is inconvenient;
as, we
suffer
from pain, sickness, or sorrow; we
suffer
with anxiety
.
O well for him whose will is strong!
He
suffers
, but he will not
suffer
long.
Tennyson.
2.
To undergo punishment; specifically, to undergo the penalty of death.
The father was first condemned to
suffer
upon a day appointed, and the son afterwards the day following.
Clarendon.
3.
To be injured; to sustain loss or damage.
Public business
suffers
by private infirmities.
Sir W. Temple.

Webster 1828 Edition

Suffer

SUF'FER

, v.t.[L. suffero; sub, under, and fero, to bear; as we say, to undergo.]
1.
To feel or bear what is painful, disagreeable or distressing, either to the body or mind; to undergo. We suffer pain of body; we suffer grief of mind. The criminal suffers punishment; the sinner suffers the pangs of conscience in this life, and is condemned to suffer the wrath of an offended God. We often suffer wrong; we suffer abuse; we suffer injustice.
2.
To endure; to support; to sustain; not to sink under.
Our spirit and strength entire,
Strongly to suffer and support our pains.
3.
To allow; to permit; not to forbid or hinder. Will you suffer yourself to be insulted?
I suffer them to enter and possess.
Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him. Lex.19.
4.
To undergo; to be affected by. Substances suffer an entire change by the action of fire, or by entering into new combinations.
5.
To sustain; to be affected by; as, to suffer loss or damage.

SUF'FER

,
Verb.
I.
To feel or undergo pain of body or mind; to bear what is inconvenient. We suffer with pain, sickness or sorrow. We suffer with anxiety. We suffer by evils past and by anticipating others to come. We suffer from fear and from disappointed hopes.
1.
To undergo, as punishment.
The father was first condemned to suffer on a day appointed,and the son afterwards, the day following.
2.
To be injured; to sustain loss or damage. A building suffers for want of seasonable repairs. It is just that we should suffer for neglect of duty.
Public business suffers by private infirmities.

Definition 2024

suffer

suffer

English

Verb

suffer ‎(third-person singular simple present suffers, present participle suffering, simple past and past participle suffered)

  1. (intransitive) To undergo hardship.
  2. (intransitive) To feel pain.
    At least he didn't suffer when he died in the car crash.‎
  3. (intransitive, construed with from) To have a disease or condition.
    He's suffering from the flu this week.‎
  4. (intransitive) To become worse.
    If you keep partying like this, your school-work will suffer.‎
  5. (transitive) To endure, undergo.
    • Shakespeare
      If your more ponderous and settled project / May suffer alteration.
    • 2013 July 6, “The rise of smart beta”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8843, page 68:
      Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return.
    I've been suffering your insults for years;  we hope you never have to suffer the same pain‎
  6. (transitive, archaic) To allow.
    • The U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. § 203:
      "Employ" includes to suffer or permit to work.
    • Section 31-36 of the Code of Montgomery County, Maryland:
      […] it shall be unlawful for any person to cause, allow, permit or suffer any vehicle to be parked […] beyond the period of time established by the duration of the parking meter […]
    • The Bible, Exodus 22:18
      Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
    • KJV, Matthew 19:14
      But Jesus said, suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

Dutch

Pronunciation

Adjective

suffer

  1. Comparative form of suf

Latin

Verb

suffer

  1. second-person singular present active imperative of sufferō

Etymology

From Middle English suffren, from Anglo-Norman suffrir, from Latin suffero ‎(“to offer, hold up, bear, suffer”), from sub- ‎(“up, under”) + ferō ‎(“I carry”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- ‎(“to bear, carry”).

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