Endure
/ɪnˈdʊr/
verbB2
Definition
To endure means to keep going even when things are hard, painful, or unpleasant. It is about staying strong and not stopping, even when you face problems or suffering. People, animals, or things can endure tough times.
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⚡ See It in Action
To suffer through or tolerate something difficult or painful
- •She had to endure a long illness before getting better.
- •The soldiers endured harsh weather during their mission.
- •We must endure hard work to reach our goals.
To last or continue to exist for a long time despite difficulties
- •Some traditions endure for hundreds of years.
- •The old building has endured many storms.
- •True friendship can endure through many challenges.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "endure" like "stay" or "keep" but with a strong feeling of going through something hard without stopping
- ✓Picture a tree standing in a strong storm, not falling even though the wind is very strong
- ✓It's the feeling when you keep walking even if your feet hurt or when you stay calm during a long wait
- ✓Sounds like "in-door" → imagine someone staying inside a room no matter what is happening outside, holding on quietly and patiently
- ✓Think of stories where heroes keep going despite many problems, like running a long race without stopping
- ✓NOT like "give up" (stop because it is too hard); "endure" means to keep going even when it is difficult
- ✓NOT like "enjoy" (pleasant experience); "endure" often means facing something unpleasant but continuing anyway
- ✓NOT like "survive" only (to live through); "endure" adds the idea of patience and strength during hard times
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Tolerate: to accept something unpleasant without complaining (Use when focusing on accepting discomfort but not necessarily with strength)
- •Persist: to continue firmly or stubbornly (Use when emphasizing continuing action or effort)
- •Survive: to continue living or existing (Use when focusing on staying alive or existing, often after danger)
- •Withstand: to resist or hold up against force or pressure (Use when focusing on resisting physical or emotional pressure)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Prefix: "en-" (to cause or put into a state)
- •Root: "dure" from Latin "durare" meaning "to last, to harden"
- •Etymology: From Latin "indurare" meaning "to harden or make lasting"
- •Historical development: Originally meant to harden or make strong; later used for lasting through difficulties
- •Modern usage: Used to describe continuing through pain, problems, or time without stopping or giving up
💭 Reflect & Connect
•Can you think of a time when you had to endure something difficult? How did it feel?
•How is enduring different from just surviving or tolerating a problem?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.People endure difficult times because they want to ___ their goals or dreams.
2.When you endure pain, it means you do not ___ even if it is hard.
3.Unlike just tolerating, to endure often requires ___ and strength.
4.Some friendships endure ___ many years and challenges.
5.Soldiers had to endure ___ weather during the long mission.
6.To endure a problem means to keep going ___ it, not to avoid it.
7.When a building endures storms, it means it ___ strong and does not break.