tolerate

verb

tol·​er·​ate ˈtä-lə-ˌrāt How to pronounce tolerate (audio)
tolerated; tolerating

transitive verb

1
a
: to allow to be or to be done without prohibition, hindrance, or contradiction
b
: to put up with
learn to tolerate one another
2
: to endure or resist the action of (something, such as a drug or food) without serious side effects or discomfort : exhibit physiological tolerance for
tolerative adjective
tolerator noun
Choose the Right Synonym for tolerate

bear, suffer, endure, abide, tolerate, stand mean to put up with something trying or painful.

bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking.

forced to bear a tragic loss

suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing.

suffering many insults

endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties.

endured years of rejection

abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest.

cannot abide their rudeness

tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful.

refused to tolerate such treatment

stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching.

unable to stand teasing

Examples of tolerate in a Sentence

Our teacher will not tolerate bad grammar. Racist or sexist behavior will not be tolerated. I can't tolerate that noise. The government cannot tolerate lawlessness. How can you tolerate such laziness? These plants tolerate drought well. I don't like my boss, but I tolerate him.
Recent Examples on the Web Until recently, robots weren’t capable of regular human interaction — or at least in a manner that people would appreciate, let alone tolerate, at live events. Gideon Kimbrell, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024 Star jasmine can tolerate shade, grow as a vigorous ground cover, blanket walls, or be clipped into a hedge. Marissa Wu, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2024 The seaside goldenrod can tolerate sandy soils and saltwater spray, while also being an important nectar source for migrating monarchs. Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024 Losses like that aren’t really tolerated around here. Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2024 Perhaps most noteworthy are two witnesses who came forward to help him: two white truckers who used to work at EWS, and decided to come forward as witnesses in the case, alleging the company tolerated racist behavior. Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 29 Feb. 2024 Whitburn tolerated the two roles for months after the conflict was reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune in 2022. Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024 Suspicion grew upon reports Navalny was close to being released as part of a prisoner swap, with Putin reportedly unable to tolerate the idea of freeing him. Robert Hart, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Drunk Elephant and Glow Recipe products aren’t inherently harmful when used as instructed for their intended purpose, and the companies make products that tweens can tolerate. Katie Mogg, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tolerate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin toleratus, past participle of tolerare to endure, put up with; akin to Old English tholian to bear, Latin tollere to lift up, latus carried (suppletive past participle of ferre), Greek tlēnai to bear

First Known Use

1524, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of tolerate was in 1524

Dictionary Entries Near tolerate

Cite this Entry

“Tolerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tolerate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tolerate

verb
tol·​er·​ate ˈtäl-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce tolerate (audio)
tolerated; tolerating
1
: to allow something to be or be done without making a move to stop it : put up with
refused to tolerate such treatment
2
: to withstand the action of
plants that tolerate drought
tolerate a drug
toleration
ˌtäl-ə-ˈrā-shən
noun

Medical Definition

tolerate

transitive verb
tol·​er·​ate ˈtäl-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce tolerate (audio)
tolerated; tolerating
: to endure or resist the action of (as a drug or food) without serious side effects or discomfort : exhibit physiological tolerance for
a premature baby … does not tolerate fats very wellH. R. Litchfield & L. H. Dembo

More from Merriam-Webster on tolerate

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