endure
/ɪnˈdjʊər/- 1.
To experience something very painful, difficult, or unpleasant for a long time without giving up. It suggests real effort and suffering.
- The refugees endured months of hardship before reaching safety.
- She endured the long surgery without complaint.
- He had to endure years of criticism before his work was recognized.
- 2.
To continue to exist or last for a long time, often despite difficulties. Things that endure do not fade or disappear easily.
- Great literature endures long after its author is gone.
- Their friendship endured through many years of separation.
Adinary Nuance
Endure sits in a group of near-neighbors — tolerate, bear, and withstand — that are easy to confuse. Tolerate is the lightest of the four; you tolerate something mildly annoying, like a noisy neighbor. Endure is heavier: it implies real pain or hardship over time, not just mild inconvenience. Bear is close to endure in meaning but feels slightly more literary or emotional ("I can't bear the loss"), while endure is more commonly chosen in academic and IELTS writing for sustained difficulty. Withstand focuses on actively resisting a force — you withstand pressure or an attack — whereas endure stresses continuing through suffering without necessarily stopping it. In formal writing, endure is the strongest choice when you want to convey that someone kept going despite serious hardship.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- Chịu đựng
- Spanish
- Soportar
- Chinese
- 忍受
- Japanese
- 耐える
- Korean
- 견디다
Etymology
From Old French "endurer" and Latin "indurare," meaning "to harden," built from "in-" (into) and "durus" (hard). It entered English in the 14th century, carrying the sense of becoming hard enough to last through difficulty.
Common phrases
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between 'endure' and 'tolerate'?
- 'Tolerate' usually applies to something mildly annoying or unpleasant — you tolerate a bad smell or a boring meeting. 'Endure' is much stronger; it describes going through something genuinely painful or very difficult over time, like enduring illness or poverty.
- Can 'endure' mean 'to last'?
- Yes. When used without an object, 'endure' means to continue existing over a long time — for example, 'great traditions endure.' This sense is common in academic and formal writing.
- Is 'endure' formal or informal?
- 'Endure' is moderately formal. It is very natural in IELTS essays, academic writing, and serious journalism. In casual spoken English, people more often say 'put up with' or 'get through' instead.
- Is 'endure' or 'withstand' better for academic writing?
- Both work, but they mean slightly different things. Use 'endure' when someone suffers through difficulty over time. Use 'withstand' when something resists a force or pressure — for example, 'the bridge withstood the earthquake' or 'she withstood intense criticism.'