# suffering

Pronunciation: say "SUF-ur-ing" /ˈsʌfəɹɪŋ/

## Noun

1. Pain or distress that someone endures, or the state of having to endure it.
   - Simple: A state of pain, sadness, or great hardship.
   - _The famine brought widespread suffering to the region._
   - _Hospice care aims to reduce suffering in a patient's final days._

## Adjective

2. Experiencing pain; characterized by suffering.
   - Simple: Feeling pain or going through a hard time.
   - _Aid workers brought food and medicine to the suffering villagers._
   - _She felt deep sympathy for the suffering animals in the shelter._

## Verb

3. Present participle of suffer. — present participle and gerund of suffer
   - Simple: Present participle of suffer. Use this form when something is happening right now.
   - _Many families are suffering during the prolonged drought._
   - _He kept suffering in silence rather than asking anyone for help._

## Origin

Formed from the verb "suffer" combined with the suffix "-ing".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/suffering (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).