suffering

noun

suf·fer·ing ˈsə-f(ə-)riŋ

Synonyms of suffering next

: the state or experience of one that suffers

: pain

Choose the Right Synonym for suffering

distress, suffering, misery, agony mean the state of being in great trouble.

distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress.

the hurricane put everyone in great distress

suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress.

the suffering of famine victims

misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss.

some people live in misery every day

agony suggests pain too intense to be borne.

in agony over the death of their child

Examples of suffering in a Sentence

ways to alleviate human suffering They hope these new drugs will help to bring an end to the suffering of arthritis patients. His lawsuit seeks damages for pain and suffering. the sufferings of the dying

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

Similarly, our remembrance of King is a call not to turn away from the suffering of the marginalized. —

Terrance Carroll, The Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2025 A lot of people say, ‘Well, suffering is good for art. —

Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 19 Jan. 2025 The fires may be a natural disaster but responsibility for the way this catastrophe unfolded and caused unprecedented damage and suffering belongs to them. —

David Faris, Newsweek, 18 Jan. 2025 Though Turkish economic suffering was worsened by the unorthodox and widely criticized fiscal policies enacted by Erdogan’s finance minister (who was also his son-in-law), Erdogan often cast blame on the Syrians, even if unintentionally, by invoking how much money Turkey was spending on them. —

Alia Malek, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for suffering