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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.

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