Phrasal verb
Put up with
What does 'put up with' mean?
'Put up with' means to tolerate an unpleasant person, habit, or situation without trying to stop it, although you do not like or approve of it. For example: 'I put up with the noisy lift because I need to reach the top floor.' In formal writing, 'tolerate' is often more suitable.
Key points
- 'Put up with' describes tolerance of an irritation.
- Keep put, up, and with together.
- Place nouns, pronouns, or -ing activities after with.
- Use put, not putted, for past time.
Your housemate sometimes leaves cups in the sink, but today there is food all over the kitchen floor. You need to explain which annoyance you can put up with and where you draw the line.
Can you use "Put up with" yourself?
This lesson has 5 stages. You can stop at any time and continue later.
Stage 1 of 5
Understand
What it means, when to use it, and mistakes to avoid.
The full explanation
Put up with means to continue accepting an unpleasant person, behaviour, or condition without trying to change or stop it. Using this phrase shows that you endure the irritation, but it never implies that you like or approve of the situation.
I can put up with cold offices in winter, but I need good lighting.
Why it works: The speaker tolerates uncomfortable room temperatures while setting a priority on lighting.
2 more examples
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Our team puts up with slow software while the servers are updated.
A group accepts a temporary technical difficulty without complaint.
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How do you put up with sharing a desk every afternoon?
A question asking how someone manages to tolerate an inconvenient working arrangement.
Read the full guide
Decide when to use put up with
You use put up with when a person, habit, or condition causes annoyance, but you choose to accept it without starting an argument or trying to stop it. The phrase never means that you enjoy or approve of the situation. It simply shows that you tolerate the discomfort, either for a short period or as a repeated part of daily life.
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Marcus puts up with his coworker's constant tapping during team meetings.
Why it works: Marcus finds the tapping irritating, but he accepts it silently.
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We can put up with cold water for one afternoon while the engineer works.
Why it works: The residents tolerate a temporary inconvenience without complaining.
Your turn
What does someone mean when they say they put up with a loud air conditioner?
Answer: They tolerate the irritating noise without replacing the unit.
Show the answer
Answer: They tolerate the irritating noise without replacing the unit.
Put up with indicates accepting an irritating condition rather than liking it or taking immediate action to end it.
Identify acceptable limits in shared spaces
Living with other adults requires knowing which small habits you can tolerate and where you need to draw a firm boundary. In shared apartments, flatmates often negotiate their standards directly. You might accept minor disorganization while refusing to tolerate behavior that damages property or creates health problems. Pay attention to how the speakers describe their tolerance in this conversation.
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David: I can put up with a couple of coffee mugs in the sink until evening.
Why it works: David accepts a minor daily habit without getting upset.
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Elena: That is fine, but I will not put up with spilled food on the floor.
Why it works: Elena sets a strict limit against an unhygienic condition.
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David: Agreed, so we will clean food messes right away and wash dishes before bed.
Why it works: Both flatmates define what is acceptable in their shared space.
This also comes up in Talk into and Put on.
Your turn
In the kitchen discussion, which annoyance does Elena refuse to accept?
Answer: Spilled food left on the kitchen floor.
Show the answer
Answer: Spilled food left on the kitchen floor.
Elena clearly states that she will not put up with spilled food, though she tolerates a few mugs in the sink.
Place nouns and pronouns after with
The expression put up with functions as a fixed three-word unit. You must place the person, thing, or activity directly after the word with. Even when using small pronouns such as it or them, you cannot move the pronoun between put and up. If you refer to an action, use an -ing verb form because prepositions take gerunds, never infinitive verbs with to.
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The apartment is small, but the students put up with it because rent is low.
Why it works: The pronoun it follows with and refers back to the small apartment.
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I cannot put up with cleaning the kitchen counter every single morning.
Why it works: The activity uses an -ing form directly after the preposition with.
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Sarah puts up with them whenever they visit for the weekend.
Why it works: The plural pronoun them stays after with rather than inside the verb unit.
Your turn
Which sentence places the object pronoun in the correct position?
Answer: The noise is terrible, but we put up with it.
Show the answer
Answer: The noise is terrible, but we put up with it.
The entire three-word unit stays together, so the pronoun it must follow the word with.
Form questions and past tenses correctly
When you change the tense of this expression, you modify only the verb put, while up with remains identical. The verb put has irregular forms: the base form is put, the third person singular is puts, the continuous form is putting, and both the past simple and past participle are put. Never add -ed to create putted. To build questions and negative statements, rely on auxiliary verbs such as do, does, or did.
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Form summary: base form put, third person puts, past simple put, past participle put.
Why it works: The regular ending -ed is never added to the verb put.
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Does she put up with that noisy radiator during winter nights?
Why it works: Present simple question using the auxiliary does before the subject.
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They did not put up with the unfair schedule and requested a team meeting.
Why it works: Past simple negative using did not followed by the base verb put.
Your turn
Which sentence correctly expresses the past simple tense?
Answer: Our flatmate put up with the broken shower for three weeks.
Show the answer
Answer: Our flatmate put up with the broken shower for three weeks.
The past simple form of put is put, not putted.
Express personal limits with modals
Modal verbs clarify whether someone has the capacity to endure an annoyance or is actively refusing to allow it. Using can put up with indicates that you are capable of tolerating a situation. Saying cannot put up with shows that your patience has run out. Using will not put up with expresses a firm refusal. Note that in casual conversation this phrase is common, whereas tolerate belongs to formal writing. Do not confuse put up with someone with put someone up, which means offering a guest a bed in your home.
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I can put up with a delayed train, but I will not put up with unsafe coaches.
Why it works: Can expresses patience for minor issues; will not sets an absolute limit.
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Tolerating such behaviour in the office is unacceptable according to company policy.
Why it works: The verb tolerate is preferred in official or academic documents.
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Uncle George put us up for the weekend while we looked for an apartment.
Why it works: Put someone up means providing temporary lodging, not tolerating them.
Your turn
What does a tenant convey by saying: 'I will not put up with damp walls'?
Answer: They firmly refuse to accept the damp living conditions.
Show the answer
Answer: They firmly refuse to accept the damp living conditions.
Will not put up with expresses a decisive refusal to endure an unacceptable condition.
Avoid common word order and ending errors
Learners frequently make three structural mistakes with this phrase. First, they drop the preposition with before the noun, producing an incomplete phrase. Second, they place a pronoun between put and up instead of keeping the unit intact. Third, they mistakenly insert an infinitive with to when describing an action instead of using an -ing verb. Checking that with is followed by an -ing form or a noun phrase prevents these errors.
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Incorrect: I cannot put up his shouting. Correct: I cannot put up with his shouting.
Why it works: The preposition with is required to connect to the object.
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Incorrect: We put it up with. Correct: We put up with it.
Why it works: Object pronouns must follow with, never separate the verb and particle.
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Incorrect: She puts up with to wait. Correct: She puts up with waiting.
Why it works: Prepositions require a gerund (-ing form), not a to-infinitive.
Your turn
Which sentence corrects the error in: 'He refuses to put up with to commute two hours'?
Answer: He refuses to put up with commuting two hours.
Show the answer
Answer: He refuses to put up with commuting two hours.
After the preposition with, verbs must take the -ing form (commuting), not the infinitive (to commute).
Recognize linked sounds in conversation
In natural speech, fluent speakers do not pronounce each word in put up with separately. The final /t/ of put links smoothly into the vowel sound of up, sounding like puh-tup. Then the /p/ in up glides directly into with. Depending on regional accents, with can end in a voiced /wɪð/ or voiceless /wɪθ/. Because this entire three-word phrase carries the main action, the words flow together without an artificial pause.
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Spoken flow: put up with sounds connected as /pʊt ʌp wɪð/.
Why it works: The consonants link smoothly across word boundaries.
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Why do you put up with that old monitor?
Why it works: In questions, put up with receives moderate stress while monitor takes primary stress.
Your turn
Why might a listener hear 'puh-tup-with' instead of three distinct words?
Answer: The final consonant of put links directly to the opening vowel of up.
Show the answer
Answer: The final consonant of put links directly to the opening vowel of up.
Connected speech connects the /t/ sound of put to the starting vowel of up, creating a smooth link.
Recall the phrase and state your boundaries
To master this phrase, practice recalling all three words in order before naming an annoyance. When you write or speak, state one minor irritation that you tolerate and one major issue that crosses your personal line. Remember to verify the object position: place nouns, pronouns, and -ing activities after with. Check that you have not inserted extra words between put, up, and with.
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I put up with slow Wi-Fi, but I will not put up with losing internet access entirely.
Why it works: Contrast an acceptable inconvenience with an unacceptable limit.
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Repair drill: Change 'I cannot put that up with' to 'I cannot put up with that.'
Why it works: Always move the pronoun to the position following with.
Your turn
Which sentence correctly expresses a personal tolerance and a firm limit?
Answer: I put up with cold tea, but I will not put up with rude waiters.
Show the answer
Answer: I put up with cold tea, but I will not put up with rude waiters.
Both clauses keep the three-word unit intact and place the noun objects directly after with.
Common mistakes with "put up with"
What learners often say, what to say instead, and why.
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Not this:
I cannot put up the constant noise.Say: I cannot put up with the constant noise.
The fixed expression requires with before its object.
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Not this:
They put the bad smell up with.Say: They put up with the bad smell.
The three-word unit cannot be separated by an object.
-
Not this:
We put up with to share one office.Say: We put up with sharing one office.
An activity after with takes the -ing form.
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Not this:
He putted up with the delay.Say: He put up with the delay.
The past form of put remains put, never putted.
Use it naturally
How people really use “put up with”
Neutral Fine almost anywhere, at work or with friends.
Words it often goes with
- put up with noiseWe put up with noise from the street because we love our apartment.
- put up with delaysTravelers often put up with delays during bad weather.
- put up with bad behaviorOur coach will not put up with bad behavior during practice.
- put up with itThe chair is uncomfortable, but I can put up with it for an hour.
What people also say
- “I can't put up with this noise.” instead of “I cannot accept this unpleasant sound anymore.”This sounds natural when you are annoyed and have reached your limit.
Questions about "Put up with"
Does put up with mean I like something?
No, put up with never means that you enjoy, admire, or agree with something. It means that you tolerate an unpleasant person, habit, or condition without trying to stop it. When you say you put up with something, you acknowledge that it causes frustration or discomfort, but you decide to endure it anyway.
I put up with the crowded subway, but I certainly do not enjoy it.
Do I say put up with it or put it up with?
You must always say put up with it. Put up with is a three-word unit that cannot be separated. Object pronouns like it, them, him, and her must always follow the preposition with. Placing a pronoun between put and up is incorrect.
The air conditioning is noisy, but we put up with it during July.
Can I use an -ing word after put up with?
Yes, you can use an -ing form (a gerund) after put up with to describe an annoying activity. Because with is a preposition, any following verb must take the -ing form. Using a to-infinitive like 'put up with to wait' is ungrammatical.
She puts up with walking up four flights of stairs because the elevator is broken.
What is the past tense of put up with?
The past tense is also put up with. The verb put is irregular and does not change its form in the past simple or past participle. Never say or write putted. You understand the tense from time markers or auxiliary verbs like did.
Last winter, we put up with freezing temperatures for two weeks.
What is the difference between can't and won't put up with?
The modal can't put up with indicates that your patience or endurance has reached its limit. In contrast, won't put up with expresses a deliberate refusal to accept a behaviour or condition. Saying won't sounds more forceful and assertive than saying can't.
I can't put up with this migraine any longer.
Our manager won't put up with dishonesty in sales reports.
Is it rude to say I put up with someone?
Saying that you put up with a person can sound critical or uncomplimentary because it implies they are annoying or difficult to be around. In informal conversations with close friends, people sometimes use it jokingly, but you should avoid using it directly to colleagues or guests.
She is patient enough to put up with difficult clients every day.
Before you go
Remember this
Put up with describes enduring an annoyance without fighting it. Keep the three words together, place the noun or -ing activity after with, and use put for past and present forms.
Stage 2 of 5
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Listening 1 of 4
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- Our team puts up with slow software while the servers are updated.
- How do you put up with sharing a desk every afternoon?
Read the transcript
I can put up with a chilly room.
Put up with is followed directly by the noun phrase 'a chilly room'.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- listen for "wit-ha": "with" joins the short "a" without a pause.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- listen for "wit-ha": "with" joins the short "a" without a pause.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- listen for "wit-ha": "with" joins the short "a" without a pause.
Listening 2 of 4
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0:00
- Our team puts up with slow software while the servers are updated.
- How do you put up with sharing a desk every afternoon?
Read the transcript
The heater makes a low hum, but we put up with it.
The pronoun 'it' must come after 'with', never inside the verb phrase.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
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Listening 3 of 4
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0:00
- Our team puts up with slow software while the servers are updated.
- How do you put up with sharing a desk every afternoon?
Read the transcript
Nobody should put up with answering office emails all evening after finishing a busy shift at work.
Verbs following the preposition 'with' must use the -ing gerund form.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
This clip is longer. Follow the instruction above the answer field.
Listening 4 of 4
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- Our team puts up with slow software while the servers are updated.
- How do you put up with sharing a desk every afternoon?
Read the transcript
When our flat became noisy each evening, we chose to speak openly. I can put up with a roommate watching a film at a sensible volume, but nobody can put up with loud computer games past midnight. We will not put up with losing our rest, so we established a clear rule for quiet hours.
This mini-scene contrasts what can be tolerated with what must not be accepted.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
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Save my progressStage 3 of 5
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I can put up with a chilly room.
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Your turn
Say it your way
Speak for 30 to 60 seconds from memory. Imagine you went camping with a friend for the first time. Describe two uncomfortable things you accepted so you could stay and enjoy the trip. Explain what made the experience worth it.
Use: can put up with put up with it
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Last weekend, I went camping with my friend Alex beside a lake. Our tent was small, and the ground was quite hard. I can put up with a hard bed for a night, so that wasn't a big problem. The rain was more annoying because our shoes got wet. We put up with it and played cards inside the tent until it stopped. Later, we cooked dinner and watched the stars. That was my favorite part. I'd go again, but next time I'd bring extra socks and something softer to sleep on.
Try once more and answer this: What was the best moment of the trip?
Stage 4 of 5
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