Endure vs. Survive — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 28, 2023
Endure means to withstand or bear patiently; Survive means to remain alive or continue to exist after an event.
Difference Between Endure and Survive
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Endure and Survive are words that both imply resilience, but they're applied differently. While Endure emphasizes tolerating hardships or discomfort over a period, Survive emphasizes the continuation of life or existence despite challenges.
When one says they can Endure a situation, they are communicating their ability to bear or resist it. However, when one claims to Survive, they are expressing that they've outlasted a threat or danger.
People often Endure hardships like pain, difficult tasks, or emotional struggles, showcasing their strength and patience. On the other hand, individuals Survive life-threatening events, signifying their resilience and will to live.
Endure can have a more extended connotation, indicating persistent tolerance. In contrast, Survive often has a finite implication, suggesting a person has made it through a specific event or period.
While both words denote overcoming adversity, Endure leans more towards a test of patience and persistence, whereas Survive leans towards overcoming life-threatening or existence challenges.
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Comparison Chart
Primary Meaning
Withstand or bear
Remain alive
Connotation
Patience, Tolerance
Overcoming a threat
Duration
Can be ongoing
Often has a endpoint
Usage Scenario
Emotional struggles, prolonged hardships
Life-threatening events, crises
Grammatical Use
Often used transitively (endure something)
Often used intransitively (he survived)
Compare with Definitions
Endure
To suffer without yielding.
He Endured pain to complete the marathon.
Survive
To continue to exist or persist.
The tradition Survives to this day.
Endure
To bear patiently or tolerate.
She had to Endure hours of questioning.
Survive
To get through or overcome an event.
She Survived a severe car accident.
Endure
To undergo without giving in.
The building has Endured for centuries.
Survive
To remain alive or existent.
Few plants Survive in the desert.
Endure
To remain firm under suffering.
Despite the challenges, she continued to Endure.
Survive
To remain functional or usable.
I need a watch that can Survive underwater.
Endure
Endure is a 2010 crime thriller film directed and written by Joe O'Brien. It stars Judd Nelson, Devon Sawa, Tom Arnold and Joey Lauren Adams.
Survive
To remain alive or in existence.
Endure
To carry on through, despite hardships; undergo or suffer
Endure an Arctic winter.
Survive
To carry on despite hardships or trauma; persevere
Families that were surviving in tents after the flood.
Endure
To put up with; tolerate
I cannot endure your insolence any longer.
Survive
To remain functional or usable
I dropped the radio, but it survived.
Endure
To continue in existence; last
Buildings that have endured for centuries.
Survive
To live longer than; outlive
She survived her husband by five years.
Endure
To suffer patiently without yielding.
Survive
To live, persist, or remain usable through
Plants that can survive frosts.
A clock that survived a fall.
Endure
(intransitive) To continue or carry on, despite obstacles or hardships; to persist.
The singer's popularity endured for decades.
Survive
To cope with (a trauma or setback); persevere after
Survived child abuse.
Endure
(transitive) To tolerate or put up with something unpleasant.
Survive
(intransitive) Of a person, to continue to live; to remain alive.
Endure
(intransitive) To last.
Our love will endure forever.
Survive
(intransitive) Of an object or concept, to continue to exist.
Endure
To remain firm, as under trial or suffering; to suffer patiently or without yielding; to bear up under adversity; to hold out.
Survive
(transitive) To live longer than; to outlive.
His children survived him; he was survived by his children.
Endure
(transitive) To suffer patiently.
He endured years of pain.
Survive
(transitive) To live past a life-threatening event.
He did not survive the accident.
Endure
(obsolete) To indurate.
Survive
(transitive) To be a victim of usually non-fatal harm, to honor and empower the strength of an individual to heal, in particular a living victim of sexual abuse or assault.
Endure
To continue in the same state without perishing; to last; to remain.
Their verdure still endure.
He shall hold it [his house] fast, but it shall not endure.
Survive
Of a team, to avoid relegation or demotion to a lower division or league.
Endure
To remain firm, as under trial or suffering; to suffer patiently or without yielding; to bear up under adversity; to hold out.
Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong in the days that I shall deal with thee?
Survive
To live beyond the life or existence of; to live longer than; to outlive; to outlast; as, to survive a person or an event.
I'll assure her ofHer widowhood, be it that she survive me,In all my lands and leases whatsoever.
Endure
To remain firm under; to sustain; to undergo; to support without breaking or yielding; as, metals endure a certain degree of heat without melting; to endure wind and weather.
Both were of shining steel, and wrought so pure,As might the strokes of two such arms endure.
Survive
To remain alive; to continue to live.
Thy pleasure,Which, when no other enemy survives,Still conquers all the conquerors.
Alike are life and death,When life in death survives.
Endure
To bear with patience; to suffer without opposition or without sinking under the pressure or affliction; to bear up under; to put up with; to tolerate.
I will no longer endure it.
Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake.
How can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people?
Survive
Continue to live; endure or last;
We went without water and food for 3 days
These superstitions survive in the backwaters of America
The racecar driver lived through several very serious accidents
Endure
To harden; to toughen; to make hardy.
Manly limbs endured with little ease.
Survive
Continue in existence after (an adversity, etc.);
He survived the cancer against all odds
Endure
Put up with something or somebody unpleasant;
I cannot bear his constant criticism
The new secretary had to endure a lot of unprofessional remarks
He learned to tolerate the heat
She stuck out two years in a miserable marriage
Survive
Support oneself;
He could barely exist on such a low wage
Can you live on $2000 a month in New York City?
Many people in the world have to subsist on $1 a day
Endure
Face or endure with courage;
She braved the elements
Survive
Live longer than;
She outlived her husband by many years
Endure
Continue to live; endure or last;
We went without water and food for 3 days
These superstitions survive in the backwaters of America
The racecar driver lived through several very serious accidents
Survive
To continue to live after the death of another.
He Survived his spouse by 10 years.
Endure
Undergo or be subjected to;
He suffered the penalty
Many saints suffered martyrdom
Endure
Last and be usable;
This dress wore well for almost ten years
Endure
Persist or be long; in time;
The bad weather lasted for three days
Endure
Continue to exist;
These stories die hard
The legend of Elvis endures
Endure
To face and withstand with courage.
He Endured criticism for his beliefs.
Common Curiosities
Can "Endure" and "Survive" be used interchangeably?
While related, they aren't always interchangeable. "Endure" emphasizes tolerance; "Survive" focuses on outlasting a threat.
Is "Survive" always about life and death situations?
No, it can also mean continuing to exist or function.
Can someone Endure happiness?
Typically, "Endure" is used for hardships, but in irony or unique contexts, it can be used otherwise.
Does "Endure" always mean suffering?
Not always, but it often implies facing challenges or discomfort.
Which word implies a longer duration, Endure or Survive?
"Endure" often has a connotation of a more extended duration.
Is there a noun form of "Survive"?
Yes, the noun form is "Survival."
Which word, Endure or Survive, implies resilience?
Both imply resilience, but in different contexts.
Can a building "Endure"?
Yes, in the sense that it can withstand elements or time.
Can businesses "Survive"?
Yes, they can "Survive" economic downturns or competition.
What does "Survive the test of time" mean?
It means to last or remain popular for a long period.
Can you "Survive" a party or event?
Colloquially, yes. It can mean getting through an event, especially if it's challenging.
If someone "Survived" a challenge, did they necessarily "Endure" it?
Likely, as they've faced and overcome it, which implies endurance.
What's the noun form of "Endure"?
The noun form is "Endurance."
Can "Endure" relate to emotional situations?
Yes, one can Endure stress, sadness, or other emotional states.
Can one "Endure" a movie or book?
Yes, implying they tolerated it despite not enjoying it.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
