endure
en-DYOOR
/ɪnˈdjʊər/
To suffer something painful or difficult patiently; or to remain in existence over time.
Dual meaning: either undergoing suffering with toughness, or lasting through time despite challenges.
The story behind the word. Passed into English via Old French 'endurer' from Latin 'indurare' (to make hard), built on 'durus' (hard). It originally meant hardening one's heart or body against physical torment.
Word relationships
- bear: Bear is broad; endure emphasizes long duration and fortitude.
- persist: Persist emphasizes continuing an action; endure emphasizes surviving suffering or time.
- succumb: To yield or give up under pressure or disease.
- perish: To die or decay completely.
Commonly confused with
- induce: Induce means to bring about or cause; endure means to bear pain or survive.
Word family
- endurance (noun): The capacity to withstand hardship or stress.
- enduring (adjective): Long-lasting or durable.
Collocations
- endure hardship
- endure pain
- endure testing
- endure for centuries
Idioms & expressions
- weather the storm
- tough it out
Example sentences
- "Marathon runners must endure severe muscular fatigue to cross the finish line." Athletic endurance
- "The ancient Roman aqueducts continue to endure after two thousand years of earthquakes and weather." Historical durability
Memory hook
DURable things ENDURE through hard times. Hardening like steel to last.
When not to use
Do not use to mean enjoying something; it always involves persistence against resistance or hardship.
Fun facts
- Ernest Shackleton's famous Antarctic exploration ship was named the 'Endurance', fitting its grueling icebound ordeal.
Related words
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