To endure means to experience something difficult or painful and keep going through it without giving up. When you endure a long, boring car ride, you make it through despite your discomfort. When a runner endures the final mile of a race with aching legs, she pushes through the pain to reach the finish line.

Enduring is different from simply surviving. It suggests strength and determination: you hold steady even when things are hard, showing resilience rather than barely hanging on. A pioneer family might endure a harsh winter. A student might endure months of difficult practice before mastering a musical instrument.

The word can also mean to last for a long time. A stone bridge might endure for centuries, weathering storms and floods. Shakespeare's plays have endured for over 400 years because people still find them meaningful. When something has endured, it has proven its strength by lasting through challenges and changes.

People who can endure hardship without quitting show a quality called endurance. Think of marathon runners building their endurance through training, or explorers whose endurance helped them survive difficult expeditions.