“suffer”

To bear prolonged hardship or pain with grim persistence.

“She endured three winters in the mountain outpost without a single complaint.”

Best for: Works well in formal writing or narratives requiring quiet strength.

To grow weak and wretched under conditions of neglect or misery.

“The prisoners languished in damp cells forgotten by the outside world.”

Best for: Best for depicting slow, passive suffering — emotional or physical decline.

To experience intense, tormenting pain or mental anguish.

“He agonized over the decision for weeks, sleeping barely an hour each night.”

Best for: Punchy and visceral — suits dramatic scenes or urgent journalism.

To labor under painful, exhausting tribulation or struggle.

“She travailed through grief the way miners travail through stone — inch by inch.”

Best for: Elevated and slightly archaic; powerful in literary or poetic contexts.

To feel a sharp, stinging pain — physical or emotional.

“He still smarted from the betrayal long after the friendship had dissolved.”

Best for: Compact and punchy; surprisingly effective for emotional wounds in modern prose.

To waste away or be worn down by prolonged suffering or self-mortification.

“Years of grief had macerated his spirit until little recognizable remained.”

Best for: Extremely rare outside medical or ascetic contexts; striking in literary fiction.