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View synonyms for

long-suffering

[lawng-suhf-er-ing, -suhf-ring, long-]

adjective

  1. enduring injury, trouble, or provocation long and patiently.



noun

  1. long and patient endurance of injury, trouble, or provocation.

    years of long-suffering and illness.

long-suffering

adjective

  1. enduring pain, unhappiness, etc, without complaint

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. long and patient endurance

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • long-sufferingly adverb
  • ˌDzԲ-ˈܴڴڱԲ adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of long-suffering1

First recorded in 1520–30
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The long-suffering Sudanese people surely deserve that quantum of mercy.

From

As a long-suffering Angels fan, its a pleasure to at least be able to listen to them.

From

Catherine O’Hara, “The Studio” “Could this finally be Hannah Einbinder’s year to take home the Emmy as the long-suffering comedy writer on ‘Hacks’?

From

Today, we bring good news to the loyal and long-suffering sports fans of Orange County.

From

At the height of his success at Arkansas, he led a long-suffering Razorback hoops program on consecutive trips to the Elite Eight.

From

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When To Use

does long-suffering mean?

Long-suffering is most commonly used as an adjective to describe someone who patiently endures negative situations for long periods of time without complaining.It’s often used in situations in which someone has endured pain, injury, illness, hardship, tragedy, or difficulty in accomplishing something. It’s also often used to describe a person who has stood by or supported someone during a difficult time.Sometimes, it’s used in the context of situations that aren’t very serious, such as to describe the faithful and long-suffering fans of a team that always loses. It’s also often used to describe a spouse as patiently enduring the whims or aggravating behaviors of their partner, as in My long-suffering husband merely sighed when I brought home yet another stray cat.Importantly, though, long-suffering doesn’t simply indicate that someone has endured bad things for a long time—it implies that they have endured such things without complaint.Long-suffering can also be used as a noun meaning the patient endurance of negative situations without complaint. It can refer to a quality, an ability, or an instance of such endurance.In religious contexts, long-suffering is discussed as a virtue, especially one involving being patient and slow to get angry. A close synonym is forbearance.Long-suffering is sometimes spelled as one word, without a hyphen, as longsuffering. It’s perhaps most commonly spelled this way when it’s used as a noun.Example: My long-suffering family has made so many sacrifices without complaint during this long ordeal.

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