suffer

IPA/ˈsʌfə(r)/
KK[sˈʌfɚ]IPA/ˈsʌfər/

suffer — 動詞

  • 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

受苦；疼痛

承受身體痛苦或心理悲傷

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.

Tamás 在車禍後吃了很多苦，花了幾個月才恢復。

intransitive: suffer without an object

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

Eve 只要氣壓突然下降就會頭痛得很厲害。

suffer from + [condition]

常見搭配
  • suffer terribly
  • suffer greatly
  • suffer from a disease
  • suffer an injury
  • suffer in silence
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

遭受；蒙受

經歷損失、失敗等負面情況

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.

那家公司在股市大跌後遭受了巨額虧損。

transitive: suffer + [financial loss]

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

Olivia 的學業因為她必須獨自照顧生病的母親而退步了。

intransitive: something becomes worse

常見搭配
  • suffer a loss
  • suffer damage
  • suffer a defeat
  • suffer a setback
  • suffer a decline
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.
慣用語

not suffer fools gladly

idiom

to have no patience or tolerance for people you consider stupid or foolish.

對愚蠢的人沒有耐心；不喜歡和笨蛋打交道

The new manager is very strict and does not suffer fools gladly in meetings.

Professor Okonkwo never suffered fools gladly and expected all students to prepare well before class.

同根字

常見搭配

名詞搭配

副詞搭配

常用片語

  • suffer in silence
  • suffer the consequences
  • suffer the effects

介系詞搭配