What does 'put up with' mean?

What it means: To tolerate or endure something unpleasant without complaint — or at least without leaving. The phrase always carries a sense of reluctance.

"I've been putting up with this noise for months."
"How do you put up with him?"
"There's only so much I can put up with."

What it signals: The person is not happy about the situation. "Put up with" is stronger than "tolerate" — it implies active endurance, as if you're holding something up that keeps pressing down on you.

Note on structure: The object can go at the end or earlier: "put up with the noise" or "put the noise up with" — no, actually, with phrasal verbs like this the preposition must stay with the verb. "What I won't put up with" ✓

• "I can't stand it" — stronger, more emotional
• "It's getting to me" — softer
• "I've had enough" — signals breaking point

Tags: phrasal verbs, tolerance, patience, everyday English