suffer

 
Pronunciation: /ˈsʌfə/

verb

[with object]
  • 1experience or be subjected to (something bad or unpleasant): he suffered intense pain [no object]: he’d suffered a great deal since his arrest
  • [no object] (suffer from) be affected by or subject to (an illness or ailment): his daughter suffered from agoraphobia
  • [no object] become or appear worse in quality: his relationship with Anne did suffer
  • [no object] archaic undergo martyrdom or execution.
  • 2 archaic tolerate: France will no longer suffer the existing government
  • [with object and infinitive] allow (someone) to do something: my conscience would not suffer me to accept any more

Phrases

not suffer fools gladly

be impatient or intolerant towards people one regards as foolish or unintelligent: he was a perfectionist who didn’t suffer fools gladly
[with biblical allusion to 2 Cor. 11–19]

Derivatives

sufferable

adjective

sufferer

noun
arthritis sufferers a deterioration in the sufferer’s condition

Origin:

Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French suffrir, from Latin sufferre, from sub- 'from below' + ferre 'to bear'