suffer

/ˈsʌfə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsʌfər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsə-fər/ (ame, mw)

suffer — verb

  • sufferpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • suffershe / she / it
  • sufferedpast simple
  • suffering-ing form

1. to feel pain or discomfort in your body, or to feel unhappiness, sadness, or emo

1.動詞及物 / 不及物A2
釋義

to feel pain or discomfort in your body, or to feel unhappiness, sadness, or emotional distress.

例句

Tamás suffered a lot after the accident and needed months to recover.

intransitive: suffer without an object

Eve suffers from terrible headaches whenever the air pressure drops suddenly.

suffer from + [condition]

同義詞
  • endure

    more formal; emphasizes continuing through pain over time

  • experience

    neutral, much weaker; does not imply pain

  • undergo

    more formal; often used for medical procedures

反義詞
  • recover

    to get better after suffering

  • thrive

    opposite of suffering; to grow and do well

文法句型

suffer + from + [condition/disease]

suffer + [injury/illness/event]

suffer (intransitive — no object)

用法筆記

Intransitive use ('She is suffering') typically describes the person's general state. To name the specific cause, use 'suffer from + [disease/condition]' (for ongoing conditions) or 'suffer + [specific injury/event]' (for a one-time medical episode).

常見錯誤

❌He suffered from a heart attack last night.
✅He suffered a heart attack last night.
💡'suffer from' is used for ongoing conditions, not sudden one-time medical events.
❌I suffered a cold for two weeks.
✅I suffered from a cold for two weeks.
💡For illnesses that last a period of time, use 'suffer from'.

2. to experience damage, loss, defeat, or a difficult situation caused by something

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

to experience damage, loss, defeat, or a difficult situation caused by something, so that a person, group, or thing becomes worse off than before.

例句

The company suffered heavy losses after the stock market fell sharply.

transitive: suffer + [financial loss]

Olivia's schoolwork suffered when she had to take care of her sick mother alone.

intransitive: something becomes worse

同義詞
  • sustain

    more formal; used for damage, loss, or injury in official reports

  • experience

    neutral; does not emphasize the negative impact

  • undergo

    suggests a process or change, not necessarily bad

反義詞
  • gain

    to get something positive instead of losing it

  • benefit

    to receive an advantage, opposite of being negatively affected

文法句型

suffer + [loss/damage/defeat/noun of negative outcome]

suffer (intransitive — no object, meaning 'become worse')

用法筆記

In this sense the subject is often an organization, a city, a machine, or a non-personal thing. When used transitively, the object is typically a noun that names a negative outcome (loss, damage, decline, defeat) — NOT a physical injury or disease (that belongs to sense 1).

常見錯誤

❌The company suffered from huge losses.
✅The company suffered huge losses.
💡When naming the specific damage/loss directly, do not add 'from'. 'Suffer from' is for ongoing conditions and diseases.
❌My phone suffered damage when it fell.
✅My phone was damaged when it fell.
💡'Suffer' sounds too dramatic for everyday objects; use simpler verbs.