The verb suffer means to feel pain or something equally unpleasant. You'd probably do anything you could to be sure your beloved cat didn't suffer when she got old and sick. ... The root of suffer is the Latin word sufferre, to bear, undergo, or endure.

What is the real definition of suffering?

: pain that is caused by injury, illness, loss, etc. : physical, mental, or emotional pain. : feelings of pain.

Why is it called suffer?

mid-13c., "allow to occur or continue, permit, tolerate, fail to prevent or suppress," also "to be made to undergo, endure, be subjected to" (pain, death, punishment, judgment, grief), from Anglo-French suffrir, Old French sofrir "bear, endure, resist; permit, tolerate, allow" (Modern French souffrir), from Vulgar ...