SUFFERING
Dictionary entry overview: What does suffering mean?
• SUFFERING (noun)
The noun SUFFERING has 4 senses:
1. a state of acute pain
2. misery resulting from affliction
3. psychological suffering
4. feelings of mental or physical pain
Familiarity information: SUFFERING used as a noun is uncommon.
• SUFFERING (adjective)
The adjective SUFFERING has 2 senses:
1. troubled by pain or loss
2. very unhappy; full of misery
Familiarity information: SUFFERING used as an adjective is rare.
Dictionary entry details
• SUFFERING (noun)
Meaning:
A state of acute pain
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Synonyms:
suffering; excruciation; agony
Hypernyms ("suffering" is a kind of...):
hurting; pain (a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "suffering"):
throe (severe spasm of pain)
Passion; Passion of Christ (the suffering of Jesus at the crucifixion)
Meaning:
Misery resulting from affliction
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Synonyms:
woe; suffering
Hypernyms ("suffering" is a kind of...):
miserableness; misery; wretchedness (a state of ill-being due to affliction or misfortune)
Meaning:
Psychological suffering
Classified under:
Nouns denoting feelings and emotions
Synonyms:
distress; hurt; suffering
Context example:
the death of his wife caused him great distress
Hypernyms ("suffering" is a kind of...):
pain; painfulness (emotional distress; a fundamental feeling that people try to avoid)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "suffering"):
anguish; torment; torture (extreme mental distress)
self-torment; self-torture (self-imposed distress)
tsoris ((Yiddish) trouble and suffering)
wound (a figurative injury (to your feelings or pride))
Meaning:
Feelings of mental or physical pain
Classified under:
Nouns denoting feelings and emotions
Synonyms:
hurt; suffering
Hypernyms ("suffering" is a kind of...):
pain; painfulness (emotional distress; a fundamental feeling that people try to avoid)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "suffering"):
agony; torment; torture (intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain)
throes (violent pangs of suffering)
discomfort; irritation; soreness (an uncomfortable feeling of mental painfulness or distress)
• SUFFERING (adjective)
Meaning:
Troubled by pain or loss
Context example:
suffering refugees
Similar:
troubled (characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need)
Meaning:
Very unhappy; full of misery
Synonyms:
miserable; suffering; wretched
Context examples:
he felt depressed and miserable / a message of hope for suffering humanity / wretched prisoners huddled in stinking cages
Similar:
unhappy (experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent)
