suffer
gb/sˈʌfɚ/ us/sˈʌfɚ/
B1
English
~ 900
szenved, megsínyli, elszenved, eltűr
VERB
B1
1
szenved
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] suffers [pain/illness/loss]
She suffered a severe headache after the long flight.
A hosszú repülőút után nagyon fájt a feje.
Thousands of people are suffering from the effects of the drought.
Több ezer ember szenved az aszály következményeitől.
He suffered greatly after the loss of his wife.
Many animals suffer in poor living conditions.
The soldiers suffered terrible injuries during the battle.
Learner examples
I am suffering from a bad cold.
Csúnyán meg vagyok fázva.
She suffered when her cat died.
Nagyon szenvedett, amikor meghalt a macskája.
The old man suffers from back pain.
Many people suffer in war.
He suffered after the car accident.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'suffer' with 'allow' in older or formal English; in modern usage, 'suffer' almost always means to experience pain or hardship.
Meaning
Experience physical or emotional pain
Collocations
suffer pain
|suffer injury
|suffer loss
|suffer illness
|suffer greatly
Synonyms
hurt (More often used for physical pain; less formal.)
|
endure (Suggests continuing through pain or hardship without giving up.)
Antonyms
recover (Means to return to a healthy or normal state after pain or illness.)
|
thrive (Means to do very well, often in contrast to suffering.)
Themes
health
|emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To feel pain in the body or mind.
To undergo physical pain, emotional distress, or hardship.
VERB
B2
2
Usage pattern:
[something] suffers [damage/loss/reduction]
The company suffered heavy losses last year.
A vállalat tavaly súlyos veszteségeket szenvedett el.
Tourism suffered greatly during the pandemic.
A turizmus súlyosan megsínylette a világjárványt.
His grades have suffered since he started working part-time.
The building suffered damage in the earthquake.
Learner examples
The shop suffered after the new mall opened.
Az üzlet megsínylette, amikor megnyílt az új bevásárlóközpont.
The team suffered a big loss.
A csapat nagy vereséget szenvedett el.
My work suffered when I was sick.
The city suffered in the storm.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use 'suffer' in positive contexts; it is only used for negative effects.
Meaning
Be harmed or damaged by something
Collocations
suffer damage
|suffer defeat
|suffer loss
|suffer decline
Synonyms
decline (Focuses on gradual worsening, often in business or quality contexts.)
|
deteriorate (Emphasizes becoming worse in condition over time.)
Antonyms
improve (Means to get better instead of worse.)
|
benefit (Means to gain from a situation rather than be harmed.)
Themes
business
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To have problems because of something bad that happens.
To be negatively affected or harmed by a situation, condition, or event.
VERB
C1
FORMAL
3
eltűr
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] will not suffer [something/someone]
She will not suffer any form of disrespect in her home.
Az otthonában semmiféle tiszteletlenséget nem tűr el.
I cannot suffer such incompetence any longer.
Nem tűröm el tovább az ilyen hozzá nem értést.
He would never suffer an injustice without speaking up.
Learner examples
I will not suffer bad behavior.
Nem tűröm el a rossz viselkedést.
She cannot suffer lies.
Nem tűri a hazugságot.
He will not suffer rude people.
Common mistake:
Learners may misunderstand this meaning as physical pain; here it means 'tolerate'. It is rare in everyday speech.
Meaning
Allow or endure something unpleasant
Collocations
will not suffer fools
|cannot suffer injustice
Synonyms
tolerate (More common and neutral in modern English.)
|
permit (Focuses on giving permission rather than enduring.)
Antonyms
forbid (Means to refuse to allow something.)
Themes
formal speech
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To let something bad happen or continue, even if you do not like it. This use is formal and less common today.
To allow, tolerate, or put up with something unpleasant, often unwillingly; more common in formal or literary contexts.
Grammar
Dictionary form
suffer
IPA
GB/sˈʌfɚ/
US/sˈʌfɚ/
Syllables & stress
suf - fer (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (suf)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: suffer
- 3rd Person Singular: suffers
- Present Participle: suffering
- Past: suffered
Word family
Forms
suffers
verb
suffering
verb
suffered
verb
Related words
sufferer
noun
Negative and opposite forms
insufferable
adjective
Expressions
suffer defeat
1/sˈʌfɚ dɪfˈit/
fixed phrase
Be beaten in competition
To lose a game, competition, or fight.
Examples
- The team suffered defeat in the final match.
- The army suffered defeat after a long battle.
suffer from
1/sˈʌfɚ fɹˈʌm/
phrasal verb
Be affected by illness or problem
To have a disease, problem, or bad situation for a period of time.
Examples
- She suffers from asthma and needs an inhaler.
- Many small businesses are suffering from the economic slowdown.
suffer in silence
1/sˈʌfɚ ˈɪn sˈaɪləns/
idiom
Endure quietly without complaint
To have pain or problems but not talk about them to others.
Examples
- He suffered in silence for years before telling anyone about his condition.
- Many workers suffer in silence rather than risk losing their jobs.
suffer the consequences
1/sˈʌfɚ ðə kˈɑnsəkwˌɛnsɪz/
fixed phrase
Face bad results of actions
To experience something bad because of what you did before.
Examples
- If you break the law, you must suffer the consequences.
- He made a poor choice and now he’s suffering the consequences.