What does sufferableness mean?
Sufferableness is a formal noun meaning the quality of being able to be endured or tolerated. It is especially associated with hardship, pain, inconvenience, or difficult circumstances that people must live with. The word is not commonly used in everyday speech, where a simpler expression such as 'tolerability' may be preferable, but it can be useful in careful discussion of what people are expected to endure. A question about the sufferableness of a situation asks not merely whether it is unpleasant, but whether it can reasonably be borne. The related adjective 'sufferable' means capable of being endured, while its opposite, 'insufferable,' describes something that cannot be tolerated. Although uncommon, sufferableness gives a concise and exact name to the question of human endurance in the face of difficulty.
nounThe quality or state of being sufferable; the possibility of being endured or tolerated.
- The quality or state of being sufferable, especially of pain, hardship, or an unpleasant situation.
"The committee questioned the sufferableness of the conditions endured by the workers."
"No one disputed the sufferableness of the journey, but everyone wondered why it was necessary."
"Her speech addressed the sufferableness of daily life under the new restrictions."
The regular plural is used rarely, if at all, outside highly formal or technical writing.
"The essay compares different sufferablenesses of hardship."
A rare but precise word for the hidden question of whether a hardship can be endured at all.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sufferableness come from?
The word is formed from 'sufferable,' which comes from the Latin 'sufferre,' meaning 'to bear' or 'to endure.' English adopted 'suffer' through Old French 'souffrir.' The suffix '-ness' forms a noun from an adjective, so 'sufferableness' means the state or quality of being sufferable.
Related word forms
How sufferableness is actually used
This is a formal and uncommon noun, found chiefly in elevated or philosophical writing. In ordinary usage, 'tolerability' or 'endurability' is usually clearer.