SUFFERING

Pronunciation (US):

• 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.

• 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)