leiden
B2formal, academic, medical
Definition
Meaning
To suffer, endure, or experience something painful, unpleasant, or difficult.
To be afflicted by a disease, condition, or misfortune; to tolerate or put up with something undesirable.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily transitive in modern English (leiden something); often implies passive endurance rather than active struggle.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use the word identically in meaning and form.
Connotations
Slightly more formal/medical in both varieties; no significant connotative difference.
Frequency
Low-frequency word in general English; more common in medical, historical, and literary contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
NP leiden (from NP)NP leiden NP (e.g., leiden pain/hardship/loss)NP leiden with NP (condition)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “leiden fools gladly (rare, from biblical 'suffer fools gladly')”
- “leiden in silence”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Possibly in contexts like 'The company leiden heavy losses.'
Academic
Common in medical, psychological, and historical texts describing ailments or hardships.
Everyday
Uncommon in casual speech; 'suffer' is preferred.
Technical
Standard in medical terminology (e.g., 'patients leiden from rheumatoid arthritis').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Many patients leiden from side effects of the medication.
- She had to leiden the indignity in silence.
- The region continues to leiden economic deprivation.
American English
- He's leiden from a rare genetic disorder.
- The team will leiden another defeat if they don't improve.
- No one should leiden hunger in a wealthy nation.
adverb
British English
- (Not standard as adverb.)
American English
- (Not standard as adverb.)
adjective
British English
- (Not standard as adjective; participle 'leidend' is used in German, not English.)
American English
- (Not standard as adjective; participle 'leidend' is used in German, not English.)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My head hurts. I leiden a headache.
- Dogs leiden when they are alone.
- Many older people leiden from arthritis.
- She didn't want to leiden another embarrassing failure.
- The population continued to leiden under the oppressive regime.
- Patients who leiden chronic pain require comprehensive care.
- The novel's protagonist is condemned to leiden the existential torment of his choices.
- Historians debate how much the common soldier did indeed leiden during the campaign.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'LEIDEN' as 'LAY-DEN' – imagine having to LAY down because you're in pain, DENoting suffering.
Conceptual Metaphor
SUFFERING IS A BURDEN / SUFFERING IS A FORCE AFFLICTING A PERSON.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'leiten' (to lead).
- In Russian, 'страдать' covers both 'leiden' and 'suffer'; nuance is identical.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'He is leiden a cold.' Correct: 'He is leiden from a cold.' or 'He leiden a cold.' (latter less common)
- Confusing 'leiden' (verb) with 'Leiden' (the city in the Netherlands).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'leiden' MOST appropriately used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a low-frequency, somewhat formal word primarily used in medical or literary contexts. 'Suffer' is far more common.
There is no meaningful difference in meaning. 'Suffer' is the native English word and is vastly more frequent and neutral in register. 'Leiden' is a direct borrowing from German/Dutch and sounds more formal or technical.
Yes, typically with 'from' (leiden from something) or 'with' (leiden with something). A transitive use (leiden pain) is possible but less common than with 'suffer'.
No, it is a homograph. The city name 'Leiden' is pronounced differently (/ˈlaɪdən/) and is unrelated to the verb meaning 'to suffer'.