Tolerate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Tolerated; p. pr. & vb. n. Tolerating.]
Etymology: [L. toleratus, p.p. of tolerare, fr. the same root as tollere to lift up, tuli, used as perfect of ferre to bear, latus (for tlatus), used as p.p. of ferre to bear, and E. thole. See Thole, and cf. Atlas, Collation, Delay, Elate, Extol, Legislate, Oblate, Prelate, Relate, Superlative, Talent, Toll to take away, Translate.]
To suffer to be, or to be done, without prohibition or hindrance; to allow or permit negatively, by not preventing; not to restrain; to put up with; as, to tolerate doubtful practices. Crying should not be tolerated in children. Locke. We tolerate them because property and liberty, to a degree, require that toleration. Burke.
Syn. -- See Permit.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for tolerate; he lists it under abide, allow, endure.
Where he writes about it:
We allow a child's innocent intrusion; we concede a right; grant a request; consent to a sale of property; permit an inspection of accounts; sanction a marriage; tolerate the rudeness of a well-meaning servant; submit to a surgical operation; yield to a demand or necessity against our wish or will, or yield something under compulsion; as, the sheriff yielded the keys at the muzzle of a revolver, and allowed the mob to enter. — from allow
Suffer, in the sense of mild concession, is now becoming rare, its place being taken by allow, permit, or tolerate. — from allow
Allow and permit involve large concession of the will; put up with and tolerate imply decided aversion and reluctant withholding of opposition or interference; whispering is allowed by the school-teacher who does not forbid nor censure it; one puts up with the presence of a disagreeable visitor; a state tolerates a religion which it would be glad to suppress. — from endure