Synonym Chooser

How does the verb tolerate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of tolerate are abide, bear, endure, stand, and suffer. While all these words mean "to put up with something trying or painful," tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful.

refused to tolerate such treatment

When would abide be a good substitute for tolerate?

While the synonyms abide and tolerate are close in meaning, abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest.

cannot abide their rudeness

When is it sensible to use bear instead of tolerate?

The synonyms bear and tolerate are sometimes interchangeable, but bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking.

forced to bear a tragic loss

When could endure be used to replace tolerate?

The words endure and tolerate can be used in similar contexts, but endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties.

endured years of rejection

Where would stand be a reasonable alternative to tolerate?

In some situations, the words stand and tolerate are roughly equivalent. However, stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching.

unable to stand teasing

When can suffer be used instead of tolerate?

While in some cases nearly identical to tolerate, suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing.

suffering many insults

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 tolerate How well did patients tolerate the drug? Annika Kim Constantino,bertha Coombs, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025 Limited evidence exists on the use of ashwagandha and L-theanine; however, combining them does not appear to cause negative interactions, and both supplements are generally considered safe and well-tolerated. Amy Brownstein, Verywell Health, 30 Sep. 2025 The entire weekend left the 2025 Master champion reflecting on what should be tolerated on a golf course, telling ESPN and other members of the media that he was fed up by the end of the tournament. Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025 And while European diplomats were for many years eager to court Vučić, even tolerating hedging tactics that saw Serbia expand ties with Russia and China, that changed amid the president’s response to months of protest. Hanna Begić, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tolerate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tolerate
Verb
  • To facilitate even heating, let food rest for a few minutes after cooking.
    Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
  • But let’s see what happens when Mississippi State takes its show on the road in a game of significance (sorry, Southern Miss).
    Matt Hayes, USA TODAY, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Fortunately, humidity will be low so foliage viewers won't have to endure that aspect of summer heat.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Even decades later, the memory of Brenda and baby Erica endures.
    Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Senate late on Tuesday rejected in a 55-45 vote a 7-week stopgap funding measure supported by Republicans that would have allowed the government to continue operations.
    Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2025
  • According to authorities Gibson allowed his large dogs to roam freely in the neighborhood and a neighbor’s ring camera caught footage moments after the alleged atatck.
    Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Tennessee Department of Education provided a list of more than 200 schools accepting scholarship students for the 2025-26 school year.
    Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The planning commission accepted the recommendation, with a small modification related to how medical clinics are defined in the Land Development Code.
    Killian Baarlaer, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The collapse of water security in Iran has been decades in the making and is rooted in a mania for megaprojects—dam building, deep wells, and water transfer schemes—that ignored the fundamentals of hydrology and ecological balance.
    Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Pierre LeBrun’s viewpoint Arpon, no doubt the Hughes contract injects a fresh comparable into the discussion that neither the Canadiens nor the Hutson camp can ignore, though using comparables always seems to be in the eye of the beholder.
    Arpon Basu, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Elanco's gleaming headquarters stands four stories tall, with floor-to-ceiling blue windows on every side and several balconies that overlook the 75-acre campus and provide an unobstructed view of the downtown skyline.
    Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 2 Oct. 2025
  • People can also eliminate standing water around their home and install or repair screens on windows and doors.
    Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Such dreams of prosperity are only permitted for so long.
    Dan Duggan, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
  • If required, an individual-sized soft-sided cooler will be permitted.
    Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Carrying it around feels more like lugging a speaker than a dainty portable gadget, but that handle makes moving it between rooms surprisingly manageable.
    Jade Chung-Lee, PC Magazine, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Lindell handles very ugly, difficult matchups and usually comes out on top, regardless of who he’s partnered with.
    Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Tolerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tolerate. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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