Meaning 1
The ability to wait through delay without becoming harsh or reckless.
Reach for it when praising calm conduct when events cannot be hurried
Her patience gave the frightened dog time to approach at its own pace.
Meaning 2
Steady willingness to continue careful effort through difficulty.
Reach for it when praising persistence that protects quality rather than forcing speed
Restoring the damaged mosaic required patience with hundreds of small fragments.
| Meaning 1 | Meaning 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| playful | ||
| everyday | ||
| warm |
| |
| professional |
| |
| formal |
everyday
Fits when freedom from agitation is the immediate quality
Careful Calm can be momentary and does not imply willingness to wait.
warm
Fits when outward emotional steadiness is visible
Careful A composed person may still abandon a slow task quickly.
professional
Fits when discomfort or difference is borne without interference
Careful Tolerance can mean mere endurance and may lack the gentleness of patience.
formal
Fits when restraint prevents irritation from becoming retaliation
Careful Forbearance often concerns another person's fault, not neutral delay.
formal
Fits when someone deliberately holds back an impulsive response
Careful Restraint can come from fear or protocol rather than patient goodwill.
playful
staying power
Fits when informal praise should emphasize endurance
Careful Its casual tone trivializes solemn hardship and weakens a formal assessment.
everyday
persistence
Fits when repeated effort eventually matters
Careful Persistence may pressure others or repeat a poor method.
warm
Fits when deliberate attention protects the work from mistakes
Careful Care does not necessarily involve delay or frustration.
professional
Fits when continued effort despite setbacks is central
Careful Perseverance can be forceful and urgent rather than patient.
show patience
Please show patience while each resident receives an individual answer.
great patience
The conservator used great patience to lift the paper from the damp frame.
patience with
His patience with new learners made questions feel welcome.
require patience
Repairing the woven border will require patience and steady light.
lose patience
Anyone can lose patience when the reason for a delay remains hidden.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Stephanie~commonswiki, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated
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