suffering
Prolonged painful experience
Suffering is the experience of pain, distress, or hardship—physical or emotional.
It encompasses everything from bodily agony to grief, despair, and prolonged misery: the suffering of refugees, years of suffering in silence.
The word often implies endurance over time rather than momentary pain.
As an adjective, suffering describes those currently in distress: the suffering masses.
To suffer is to undergo pain or to tolerate something unwillingly: She doesn't suffer fools gladly.
Extreme physical or emotional pain
- anguishIntense mental suffering
- despairTotal absence of hope
- heartacheDeep emotional distress
- miseryIntense prolonged distress
woe · sorrow · distress · torment · desolation · hopelessness · melancholy · despondency
Bodily or emotional distress
- achePersistent dull discomfort
- throbBeat with intensity
- discomfortMild physical or mental distress
- sorenessTender, painful sensation
agony · twinge · spasm · cramp · burning · tenderness · pang · malaise
Deliberate infliction of suffering
- persecutionSystematic mistreatment of groups
- crueltyDeliberate harm-causing disposition
- abuseCruel or violent treatment
- oppressionUnjust exercise of power
torment · victimization · brutality · atrocity · genocide · enslavement · captivity · imprisonment
Period following loss
- bereavementState following loss
- lossBeing without something
- sorrowDeep emotional distress
- grievingFeeling sorrow after loss
lamentation · consolation · remembrance · funeral · memorial · solace · healing · acceptance
Capacity to recover quickly
- fortitudeEnduring courage under pain
- perseveranceSustained resolve despite obstacles
- stoicismUncomplaining acceptance of difficulty
- patienceCalm during delays
tenacity · grit · steadfastness · survival · courage · strength · stamina · toughness
Lack of necessities
- destitutionExtreme poverty, lacking necessities
- povertySevere lack of resources
- adversitySevere difficulty or suffering
- misfortuneAdverse circumstance or event
deprivation · struggle · austerity · want · penury · impoverishment · disadvantage · difficulty
agony
Extreme physical or emotional pain
misery · woe · sorrow · distress · torment · desolation · hopelessness · melancholy · despondency · gloom
pain
Bodily or emotional distress
- achePersistent dull discomfort
- throbBeat with intensity
- discomfortMild physical or mental distress
soreness · agony · twinge · spasm · cramp · burning · tenderness · pang · malaise · affliction
torture
Deliberate infliction of suffering
- persecutionSystematic mistreatment of groups
- crueltyDeliberate harm-causing disposition
- abuseCruel or violent treatment
oppression · torment · victimization · brutality · atrocity · genocide · enslavement · captivity · imprisonment · flogging
mourning
Period following loss
- bereavementState following loss
- lossBeing without something
- sorrowDeep emotional distress
grieving · lamentation · consolation · remembrance · funeral · memorial · solace · healing · acceptance · keening
resilience
Capacity to recover quickly
- fortitudeEnduring courage under pain
- perseveranceSustained resolve despite obstacles
- stoicismUncomplaining acceptance of difficulty
patience · tenacity · grit · steadfastness · survival · courage · strength · stamina · toughness · bearing
privation
Lack of necessities
- destitutionExtreme poverty, lacking necessities
- povertySevere lack of resources
- adversitySevere difficulty or suffering
misfortune · deprivation · struggle · austerity · want · penury · impoverishment · disadvantage · difficulty · scarcity
- painache, pain, agony, hurt, hurting
- Greek tragedytragedy, Greek tragedy, Greek tragedies, Sophocles, Aeschylus
- literary themesheroism, hero's journey, ennui, social realism, morals
- pathosemotional appeal, pity, fear, sympathy, catharsis
- rigourshardship, privation, deprivation, adversity, tribulation
- Schopenhauerwill to live, pessimism, voluntarism, thing-in-itself, representation
sufferinghappiness
Joyful emotional state
joy · bliss · contentment · pleasure · euphoria
sufferingcomfort
Ease or soothing relief
health · ease · wellness · relief · painlessness
sufferingflourishing
Prospering vigorously
thriving · prosperity · blessing · good fortune · felicity
- pain and sufferingDistress from harm
- human sufferingDistress experienced by people
- long sufferingPatient endurance of trials
- silent sufferingUnspoken endurance of pain
- eternal sufferingTorment without end
- animal sufferingPain felt by fauna