禁受 (jīn shòu) is a formal or literary verb meaning 'to endure' or 'to bear' — especially hardship, pain, pressure, or emotional strain. Though composed of two characters, 禁 and 受, it functions as a single inseparable compound verb; neither character carries this precise meaning alone in modern usage. The first character 禁 here is read jīn (not jìn), indicating 'to withstand', while 受 means 'to receive' or 'to undergo'. Together, they evoke the sense of receiving something difficult without collapsing under it — implying resilience, fortitude, and often quiet suffering.

This word appears frequently in written Chinese — literature, essays, news reports, and formal speeches — but rarely in casual speech, where people prefer simpler alternatives like 忍 (rěn) or 承受 (chéng shòu). It often collocates with abstract nouns: 压力 (yālì, pressure), 打击 (dǎjī, blow), 痛苦 (tòngkǔ, pain), or 考验 (kǎoyàn, test). Its tone is solemn and slightly archaic, lending gravity to descriptions of human endurance.