endure

endure — verb

1. to go through something painful or hard and keep going without running away or g

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to go through something painful or hard and keep going without running away or giving in

Example

Hugo endured three days of constant rain during his hike through the mountains.

endure + time period adverbial

The nurses at the clinic endure long shifts with very few breaks.

endure + noun phrase (long shifts)

Common collocations
  • endure pain
  • endure hardship
  • endure suffering
  • endure the heat
  • endure the cold
  • endure criticism
  • endure treatment
Synonyms
  • bear

    more neutral and less active — 'bear' often describes carrying a weight or accepting a situation, while 'endure' highlights active resistance

  • withstand

    emphasises resisting the force or impact of something (e.g. 'withstand an attack'); more about defence than ongoing suffering

  • tolerate

    implies allowing something you dislike without complaint; weaker than 'endure', which involves genuine hardship

  • suffer

    focuses on the experience of pain itself; 'endure' adds the idea of continuing despite the pain

Antonyms
  • give up

    to stop trying after facing difficulty

  • surrender

    to yield to something painful or overwhelming

Grammar Patterns

endure + noun phrase

endure + through + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently used with adverbs of manner such as 'patiently', 'silently', or 'bravely'. Can be followed directly by a noun phrase (transitive) or used with 'through' to describe the period of difficulty.

Common Mistakes

I can't endure my noisy neighbour anymore.
I can't tolerate my noisy neighbour anymore.
'tolerate' is preferred when the situation is annoying but not painful; 'endure' suggests a heavier, longer hardship.
She endured the medicine because she was sick.
She endured the pain of the treatment because she was sick.
'endure' needs an experience of difficulty or suffering; taking medicine itself is not usually something you endure.

2. to stay alive, present, or in active use for a very long period, often despite d

2.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to stay alive, present, or in active use for a very long period, often despite difficulties or changes

Example

The ancient temple has endured for over eight hundred years in the desert.

endure + for + time period

Defne and her grandmother's friendship endured through decades of change and distance.

endure through + time/change

Common collocations
  • endure for decades
  • endure for centuries
  • endure through the ages
  • a tradition endures
  • a relationship endures
  • a memory endures
  • a building endures
Synonyms
  • last

    neutral about time passing; 'endure' adds the idea of resisting difficulty or threats

  • persist

    emphasises determination or stubbornness to keep going; often used for habits or problems

  • survive

    suggests overcoming a direct threat to existence; stronger than 'endure' in active danger contexts

  • continue

    most neutral; does not imply any difficulty in remaining

Antonyms
  • fade

    to gradually become weaker or disappear

  • die out

    to stop existing completely (used for traditions, species, ideas)

  • collapse

    to fall or break down suddenly

Grammar Patterns

endure + adverbial (for + time period)

endure + through + noun phrase

Usage Note

Subject is usually a thing, tradition, institution, or relationship rather than a person. Commonly paired with time expressions: 'for centuries', 'through the ages', 'for generations'.

Common Mistakes

The milk endured for three weeks in the fridge.
The milk lasted for three weeks in the fridge.
'endure' implies active resistance to deterioration over a long period, not just any time span.
Her headache endured for two hours.
Her headache lasted for two hours.
short-term temporary situations should use 'last', not 'endure'.

Word family

  • endurance
    nounB2
  • enduring
    adjectiveB2
  • endurable
    adjectiveC1
  • unendurable
    adjectiveC1
  • enduringly
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe dealing with something unpleasant, but they differ in intensity and focus. 'Endure' suggests actively continuing through hardship over time — you endure a long illness or a difficult season. 'Bear' is more about carrying a weight or accepting a situation you cannot change ('bear the cost', 'bear the responsibility'). 'Withstand' focuses on resisting a direct force or attack, like withstanding pressure or criticism, and is often used for physical resistance. 'Tolerate' is the weakest of the four — it means allowing something annoying to happen without complaining ('tolerate noise', 'tolerate a bad attitude'). 'Suffer' puts the focus on the pain itself rather than on the act of continuing. For example: 'She suffered greatly from the disease' (pain-focused), but 'She endured the treatment for six months' (continuation-focused).

bear ↗withstand ↗tolerate ↗suffer ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • for a long time
  • for centuries
  • through the years
  • to the end

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'endure' comes from Latin 'indurare', a combination of the prefix 'in-' (in, into) and 'durus' (hard). The original meaning was 'to harden or make hard' — the idea of making yourself strong enough to resist pain. It passed into Old French as 'endurer' and entered English around the 14th century, shifting from the literal sense of hardening to the mental sense of holding firm under difficulty.