patient

Able to wait or deal with difficulties without becoming angry.

• Please be patient.
• She was patient with my questions.
• You need to be patient while the paint dries.

How to use it: patient with someone/something (Please be patient with the children.)

Similar words: tolerant

Opposites: impatient

Common phrases: be patient, patient with someone, patient teacher, patient waiting

Continuing to work carefully and calmly for as long as necessary.

• The repair required patient work.
• Years of patient research finally brought results.
• Her patient efforts helped the child learn to read.

Similar words: persistent, persevering

Common phrases: patient work, patient research, patient effort

A person or animal receiving care from a doctor or another health professional.

• The doctor examined the patient.
• Several patients waited outside the clinic.
• Our first patient today was a dog with a broken leg.

Common phrases: hospital patient, treat a patient, patient care

The person or thing affected by an action, as described in the meaning of a sentence.

• In this sentence, the ball is the patient.
• The patient receives the action described by the verb.
• A passive sentence often puts the patient first.

Common phrases: patient role, agent and patient, grammatical patient