This is the 2759th most frequent Portuguese word.
sofreram
"Sofreram" means "they suffered" in English.
In this context, 'sofreram' indicates that the athletes experienced physical or emotional pain due to the strenuous training.
Os atletas sofreram devido ao intenso treino.
The athletes suffered due to the intense training.
Here, 'sofreram' is used to describe the adverse effect on the plants caused by the prolonged deficiency of water.
As plantas sofreram com a falta de água durante o verão.
The plants suffered from the lack of water during the summer.
In this usage, 'sofreram' (past tense of 'sofrer') refers to enduring or experiencing changes, which may or may not be negative, depending on the context.