TOLERATE Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'tolerate' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of tolerate are abide , bear , endure , stand , and suffer . While all these words mean "to put up with something trying or painful," tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful. // refused to tolerate such treatment

Q: When would 'abide' be a good substitute for 'tolerate'?

While the synonyms abide and tolerate are close in meaning, abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest. // cannot abide their rudeness

Q: When is it sensible to use 'bear' instead of 'tolerate'?

The synonyms bear and tolerate are sometimes interchangeable, but bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking. // forced to bear a tragic loss

Q: When could 'endure' be used to replace 'tolerate'?

The words endure and tolerate can be used in similar contexts, but endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties. // endured years of rejection

Q: Where would 'stand' be a reasonable alternative to 'tolerate'?

In some situations, the words stand and tolerate are roughly equivalent. However, stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching. // unable to stand teasing

Q: When can 'suffer' be used instead of 'tolerate'?

While in some cases nearly identical to tolerate , suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing. // suffering many insults

tolerate

verb

ˈtä-lə-ˌrāt

Definition of tolerate

as in to let

to fail to prevent (some behavior on someone's part) especially from neglect or indifference my boss simply doesn't tolerate tardiness

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to endure

to put up with (something painful or difficult) suffering a terrible headache, the poor woman couldn't tolerate all the noise the neighbors were making

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb tolerate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of tolerate are abide, bear, endure, stand, and suffer. While all these words mean "to put up with something trying or painful," tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful.

refused to tolerate such treatment

When would abide be a good substitute for tolerate?

While the synonyms abide and tolerate are close in meaning, abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest.

cannot abide their rudeness

When is it sensible to use bear instead of tolerate?

The synonyms bear and tolerate are sometimes interchangeable, but bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking.

forced to bear a tragic loss

When could endure be used to replace tolerate?

The words endure and tolerate can be used in similar contexts, but endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties.

endured years of rejection

Where would stand be a reasonable alternative to tolerate?

In some situations, the words stand and tolerate are roughly equivalent. However, stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching.

unable to stand teasing

When can suffer be used instead of tolerate?

While in some cases nearly identical to tolerate, suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing.

suffering many insults

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of tolerate If parents are constantly stepping in to soothe or explain, the thinking goes, kids may not learn to manage their feelings or tolerate discomfort. — Alex Vance, Parents, 25 Oct. 2026 Ye-ji has a hunky hedge-fund-type husband, Sang-woo (Zo In-sung), who condescendingly tolerates, but doesn’t finance, his wife’s cinematic caprices. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026 Women tolerate heat better than men and can sit in a sauna, absorb heat and vasodilate, triggering heat shock protein responses. — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026 Lutikizumab was generally safe and well tolerated, with adverse event rates that were nearly identical between the placebo and treatment groups. — Jonathan Wosen, STAT, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tolerate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tolerate

Verb

Longtime collaborator Erik Blood foregrounds Butler’s dry drum machines in the mix, letting every other element shuffle around them, snaking toward the spotlight for a brief moment and retreating back into the brume.

— Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
The deal lets Zuckerberg sell or transfer shares without losing his voting majority, preserving his control of Meta even if the measure passes.

— Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of let

Verb

The Ukrainian capital endured a noisy night as 21 ballistic missiles came in three waves, Zelenskyy said, smashing apartment buildings, energy facilities, a railway station and the Kyiv subway system, shopping malls and businesses.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
In the late ’70s and early ’80s, Lebanon endured an intense civil war.

— Shy Clara Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of endure

Verb

His go-ahead hit sparked the Brewers to a 5-4 win in Game 2 after Seymour allowed Frelick’s tying home run.

— Ronald Blum, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Each canister holds four missiles, allowing compatible launch systems to carry multiple interceptors within a single launch cell.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of allow

Verb

The ordinance permits Highfill to apply excess bond proceeds to retire debt early if construction costs come in below projections, and the city holds the option to call and prepay bonds without penalty starting June 1, 2033.

— Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Helner admires Ben-Gvir’s push to expand civilian gun ownership, permit Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, and introduce the death penalty for terrorists.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of permit

Verb

Seventy-one percent also doubt that his village cooperatives policy—which plans to establish hubs in roughly 80,000 communities to handle basic-goods distribution, savings, and other rural services—would succeed.

— Jay Ganglani, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
The case remains under investigation and is being handled by the Sheriff’s Department Homicide Division, according to Arcadia police.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of handle

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tolerantly

tolerate

tolerated

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“Tolerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tolerate. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tolerate

verb

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