suffer
HighNeutral
Definition
Meaning
To experience or undergo something unpleasant, such as pain, distress, or hardship.
Can also imply allowing or permitting in archaic usage, but modern use primarily focuses on enduring negative conditions, often passively.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Used both transitively (e.g., suffer pain) and intransitively (e.g., suffer from illness). Often conveys a sense of enduring adversity without direct action.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal; both varieties use 'suffer' similarly in meaning and construction.
Connotations
In British English, it may be perceived as slightly more formal in certain contexts, while American English uses it broadly across registers.
Frequency
Equally common in both British and American English, based on corpus data.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
suffer from [noun]suffer [noun] (transitive)suffer for [reason]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “suffer fools gladly”
- “suffer in silence”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Companies may suffer financial losses during recessions.
Academic
Research indicates that patients suffer from chronic conditions like diabetes.
Everyday
I sometimes suffer from headaches after long workdays.
Technical
Materials can suffer degradation under extreme temperatures.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He suffers from a persistent cough during winter.
American English
- She suffers from seasonal allergies every spring.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Children often suffer when they catch a cold.
- Many employees suffer from stress due to tight deadlines.
- The tourism industry suffered a major setback after the natural disaster.
- Civilizations throughout history have suffered from wars that reshaped their societies.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Remember 'suffer' by linking it to 'suf-' (like enough) and 'fer' (from Latin 'ferre', to bear), meaning to bear enough pain.
Conceptual Metaphor
Suffering is a burden or a dark journey that one must carry.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Confusing 'suffer' with 'терпеть', which often implies patience rather than passive experience.
- Overusing 'suffer' for minor inconveniences instead of more severe hardships.
Common Mistakes
- Omitting 'from' with illnesses, e.g., saying 'suffer asthma' instead of 'suffer from asthma'.
- Using 'suffer' interchangeably with 'tolerate' without noting the passive aspect.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'suffer' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Suffer' implies experiencing something unpleasant, often passively, while 'endure' suggests bearing it with patience or resilience.
Yes, in transitive constructions like 'suffer pain' or 'sfer loss', but for indicating cause, especially with illnesses, 'suffer from' is standard.
No, it is neutral and used in both formal and informal contexts, from everyday conversation to academic writing.
Common mistakes include omitting 'from' with diseases, overusing it for trivial issues, and confusing it with synonyms like 'tolerate'.