noun
-
the pain, misery, or loss experienced by a person who suffers
-
the state or an instance of enduring pain, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of suffering
First recorded in 1350–1400; suffer + -ing 1 ( def. )
Explanation
Suffering is the kind of pain you feel when you shatter your ankle and it's what you'll see all around you if you find yourself in the middle of a tornado or an earthquake. When you're suffering, you're not happy — in fact, you're quite miserable. The Latin roots that give us suffering and related words paint a vivid picture of what suffering feels like. The word comes from sub-, meaning "below," and ferre, "bear." Suffering is something pressing you down that you have to submit to and bear. It's definitely the opposite of fun.
Vocabulary lists containing suffering
Because of Winn-Dixie
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"The Young American" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
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The House of Hades
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sentencing him, Judge Cotter said: "Travis was suffering before your eyes."
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
Melliti’s performance is one of silent suffering, illustrating Fatima’s deference to her family.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026
She was suffering from an abdominal infection and "her condition continued to worsen", the Bureau of the Royal Household said in a statement, until she "passed away peacefully" on Thursday evening.
From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026
In a statement read on her behalf immediately before sentencing, she described suffering "flashbacks".
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
I wanted to use my gift to help people, to wish away all the pain and suffering in this world.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
