as in distress
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
2
as in grieving
to feel deep sadness or mental pain
the husband suffered deeply at the mere suggestion that he had been unfaithful
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in permitting
to give permission for or to approve of
contends that the death penalty is something that no civilized society should suffer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in letting
to fail to prevent (some behavior on someone's part) especially from neglect or indifference
I will not suffer you to insult me so!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of suffering
Samuel Hyland, Pitchfork, 11 Mar. 2026
Now after four years of ongoing horrors in Ukraine, and more than two years of watching slaughter and suffering in Gaza, the latest war filling our feeds is just another numbing form of content, a digital arena in which competing forces try to assert conflicting viewpoints.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2026
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
In some sense, Vance is suffering the typical fate of the vice president, who is forever on display but seldom listened to.
—Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for suffering
Noun
The first is the novel A Little Life, whose endless suffering evokes their longest, bleakest songs.
—Samuel Hyland, Pitchfork, 11 Mar. 2026
Now after four years of ongoing horrors in Ukraine, and more than two years of watching slaughter and suffering in Gaza, the latest war filling our feeds is just another numbing form of content, a digital arena in which competing forces try to assert conflicting viewpoints.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
Glazer talked about how Mahomes tried to re-enter a game against Denver in 2019 after suffering a dislocated kneecap.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
In some sense, Vance is suffering the typical fate of the vice president, who is forever on display but seldom listened to.
—Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for suffering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suffering
Noun
-
The immediate physical toll of these attacks — manifesting as respiratory distress and chemical burns to the eyes and throat — may only be the precursor to a more permanent health crisis.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
-
After one KatyCat expressed feelings of distress on social media, the pop star showed up in their comments to send some love.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Brazil’s government announced emergency measures including a national task force to execute arrest warrants, electronic tracking for aggressors and mobile units assisting women experiencing violence.—
Eléonore Hughes,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
East Asia has among the world’s fastest-declining birth rates, with some countries already experiencing overall population decline.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Angela, grieving for her family and friends gone in the war, smuggles goods along the front lines to make a living.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Kay Scarpetta is, like many protagonists of these sorts of stories, a remarkable and mythical investigator, returning to her old job as chief medical examiner of the commonwealth of Virginia in order to spend more time with her grieving niece, Lucy (DeBose), who has lost her wife.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Nearby cities including Vacaville, Woodland, Sacramento, Dixon and West Sacramento offer more developable land and often faster permitting processes, the report states.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
7 Mar. 2026
-
In design, engineering, pre-construction, and manufacturing, there are specs, there are permitting codes, there are ordinances, and there’s disconnect between the disciplines, so the context is incredibly complicated.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That twist makes Frank both sympathetic and conniving, and Bale does a good job letting both aspects of his complex performance come through.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Johnson recommends installing an owl box or letting a section of your yard grow naturally as a meadow to attract these helpful predators.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Frogs made enough big shots in the final minutes to prevent another upset.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
7 Mar. 2026
-
However, other kids of the same age range might be more upset by the violence and harsh realities of nature—especially the ruthless and brutal of hierarchy of nature during the dinosaur years.—
Alex Shoemaker,
Parents,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Faced with the closure announcement on Facebook, commenters quickly expressed sorrow — and reminisced.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Buford’s issued a statement Monday expressing sorrow for the victims and thanking law enforcement.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The title refers to canines that are awaiting deployment, undergoing medical evaluation, being reviewed for deficiencies or leaving the service.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
For others, the decision to sell the refund rights was worth it to not deal with shelling out resources for a legal team or the headache of understanding and then undergoing the process to receive the refunds.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suffering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffering. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
