patire
to suffer; to endure
verb pah-TEE-reh Rare
Origin: Latin pati (to suffer, endure)
Usage Note
Patire is more literary and intense than soffrire, implying passive endurance of something unavoidable — patire il freddo (to suffer the cold), patire la fame (to go hungry). It takes avere as its auxiliary. The related noun patimento (suffering) and adjective paziente share the Latin root.
Examples
"I soldati patirono il freddo per settimane."
Natural Translation
The soldiers endured the cold for weeks.
Related Words
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