SUFFERING Synonyms: 263 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'suffering' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of suffering are agony , distress , and misery . While all these words mean "the state of being in great trouble," suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress. // the suffering of famine victims

Q: When can 'agony' be used instead of 'suffering'?

While in some cases nearly identical to suffering , agony suggests pain too intense to be borne. // in agony over the death of their child

Q: When might 'distress' be a better fit than 'suffering'?

While the synonyms distress and suffering are close in meaning, distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress. // the hurricane put everyone in great distress

Q: When could 'misery' be used to replace 'suffering'?

The synonyms misery and suffering are sometimes interchangeable, but misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss. // the homeless live with misery every day

suffering 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of suffering

as in mourning

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suffering

2 of 3

noun

as in distress

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

suffering

3 of 3

verb

present participle of suffer

as in experiencing

to come to a knowledge of (something) by living through it willingly suffered hardships so that their children would have a better life

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in grieving

to feel deep sadness or mental pain the husband suffered deeply at the mere suggestion that he had been unfaithful

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in permitting

to give permission for or to approve of contends that the death penalty is something that no civilized society should suffer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in letting

to fail to prevent (some behavior on someone's part) especially from neglect or indifference I will not suffer you to insult me so!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun suffering differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of suffering are agony, distress, and misery. While all these words mean "the state of being in great trouble," suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress.

the suffering of famine victims

When can agony be used instead of suffering?

While in some cases nearly identical to suffering, agony suggests pain too intense to be borne.

in agony over the death of their child

When might distress be a better fit than suffering?

While the synonyms distress and suffering are close in meaning, distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress.

the hurricane put everyone in great distress

When could misery be used to replace suffering?

The synonyms misery and suffering are sometimes interchangeable, but misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss.

the homeless live with misery every day

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of suffering

Noun

Thanks to these barriers, the immense suffering of Palestinians in Gaza – more than 70,000 of whom have been killed as a result of the Israel-Hamas war since 2023 – has been difficult to document. — Drew Paul, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026 Its government, dominated by hardened veterans of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and largely indifferent to the suffering of the Iranian population, appears determined to fight on. — Richard Haass, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026

Verb

But could Cruise use his movie star promotion power to get himself into the best-actor Oscar competition, despite the film suffering from tepid reviews and a possibly paltry box office? — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 2 Oct. 2026 UConn left the American Athletic Conference to prioritize its basketball programs, which were suffering there. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for suffering

Recent Examples of Synonyms for suffering

Adjective

Legend has it Michael Jackson asked his security to keep fans away from him at a local dive bar, only to become upset when the locals were all too good at treating him like a normal person.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Ultimately, after he was found out to be a con artist, according to his critics, Minnesota media appears to be more so upset that Jamal was not acting in the Somali community’s best interests.

— Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of upset

Noun

However, as some researchers have pointed out, the available studies didn’t assess whether emotions are actually regulated through the chatbot, and therefore conflate distress relief with attachment.

— Pascal Vrticka, Scientific American, 4 Oct. 2026
In a statement made through Carey, the Mayich family said Bales should be looking into why the workout was allowed and why it wasn't stopped when players were in visible distress with no water or rest.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of distress

Verb

Why is Indonesia experiencing its worst ever wildfire season?

— TheWeek, TheWeek, 2 Oct. 2026
In the corporate world, that can look like closing more deals, executing launches faster, making better decisions under pressure and even experiencing lower rates of burnout.

— Roy Ward, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of experiencing

Verb

Shane Thomson, the high-risk security adviser who warned Hall, Zakrzewski and Kuvshynova not to go beyond the Kyiv city limits, joined the grieving parents in their lawsuit against Fox and Hall.

— David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026
Her unexpected passing has left fans around the world grieving.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of grieving

Verb

But Chicago still needs better zoning and permitting to jump-start development, such as allowing multifamily buildings on smaller-sized lots.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
Hilton proposed cutting permitting costs and building out rather than up.

— Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of permitting

Verb

Intravenous lines can fail for several reasons, like a needle and catheter not being properly placed in a vein or wiggling out of place — or a vein rupturing and letting blood and IV fluid leak into tissue surrounding the IV site.

— Rebecca Boone, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Letting Short-Term Pressure Dictate Decisions One mistake is letting short-term pressure dictate the decision.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of letting

Adjective

Its success made Cohn a rich, if unhappy, man, at least for a long while.

— Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 6 Oct. 2026
What appeared to be a fairly normal election for a president halfway through his term — a probable setback, as unhappy voters register their discontent — has the potential, Cook said, to turn into a disaster for Republicans.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of unhappy

Noun

Because so many of Gunn’s friends died in San Francisco, a city where Gunn had found happiness and freedom, then these elegies are also a monument to a time of communal sorrow and mourning.

— Colm Tóibín, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
Another decision that those who are rejected face, at least if anger is mixed in with sorrow, is where to direct that anger.

— George Loewenstein, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of sorrow

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sufferers

suffering

sufferings

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“Suffering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffering. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of suffering

adjective

noun

verb

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