endure
UK[ɪnˈdjʊə]US[ɪnˈdʊr]
v
to suffer something painful or difficult patiently
v
to remain in existence; to last
Morpheme Breakdown
en
dure
en
in, into
dure
to last, to harden
Etymology
The word endure originates from the Latin verb indurare, meaning "to harden, to make lasting," itself formed from the prefix in- (in, into) and the adjective durus (hard, firm). This Latin root durus is traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root deru-/dreu- (to be firm, solid, steadfast), which also gave rise to English words like durable and during. The semantic journey moved from the physical sense of "becoming hard" to the metaphorical sense of "withstanding hardship" and "persisting through time," capturing the core idea of firmness and lastingness in the face of adversity.
Analysis
Structure: en (in, into) + dure (to last, to harden)
en- (Latin prefix, from in-, meaning "in, into"); dure (from Latin root durus, meaning "hard, lasting").
Examples
She endured years of hardship to achieve her goal.
These ancient structures have endured for centuries.
He could not endure the pain any longer.