patient A person who is patient has the ability to wait for something to happen or tolerate difficulty. - You’ll have to be patient and wait until it’s your turn.
- The kids aren’t being very patient. They want the cake now.
- A patient dog waited for her family to return home.
- Our teacher is very patient. She puts up with a lot of difficult students.
- Henry has to learn to be patient. He’s very impatient. (The word "impatient" is the opposite of "patient.")
The word "patiently" is an adverb: - People waited patiently until their names were called.
- Denise works patiently with the children.
- The audience sat in the theater patiently until the performance began.
The word "patience" is a noun: - They have no patience. They can’t wait
- Our teacher has little patience when it comes to misbehavior in the classroom. (He does not tolerate bad behavior.)
- This situation is testing my patience.
Sometimes the word "patient" is used to describe a person who receives medical care: - The doctor is examining the patient.
- He has a lot of patients waiting to see him. (Note: The words "patients" and "patience" sound the same.)
The doctor is with a patient. Click here to learn more words. November 16, 2013 | 