suffering 1 of 3

suffering

2 of 3

noun

suffering

3 of 3

verb

present participle of suffer
1
as in experiencing
to come to a knowledge of (something) by living through it willingly suffered hardships so that their children would have a better life

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun suffering differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of suffering are agony, distress, and misery. While all these words mean "the state of being in great trouble," suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress.

the suffering of famine victims

When can agony be used instead of suffering?

While in some cases nearly identical to suffering, agony suggests pain too intense to be borne.

in agony over the death of their child

When might distress be a better fit than suffering?

While the synonyms distress and suffering are close in meaning, distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress.

the hurricane put everyone in great distress

When could misery be used to replace suffering?

The synonyms misery and suffering are sometimes interchangeable, but misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss.

the homeless live with misery every day

Examples of suffering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Harris, for her part, has voiced strong backing for Ukraine and tracks with Biden on support for Israel, while placing particular emphasis on the need to relieve the suffering of Palestinian civilians whose lives have been upended by the Hamas-Israel war. Josh Boak and Geir Moulson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2024 Harris, for her part, has voiced strong backing for Ukraine and tracks with Mr. Biden on support for Israel, while placing particular emphasis on the need to relieve the suffering of Palestinian civilians whose lives have been upended by the Hamas-Israel war. Anna Noryskiewicz, CBS News, 18 Oct. 2024 The hubris in refusing to change course in the face of mounting evidence will continue the suffering of ordinary North Koreans and likely drag the United States into nuclear war. Christine Ahn, Chicago Tribune, 17 Oct. 2024 In the note, Dimon counted human suffering among the costs of conflicts in the likes of Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as short-term economic upset. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for suffering 

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

Thesaurus Entries Near suffering

Cite this Entry

“Suffering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffering. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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