隐忍 is more literary than plain
忍 — it carries the connotation of stoic, prolonged self-restraint, often used for hidden grief, grudges, or strategic patience. A famous line from Sima Qian:
隐忍苟活 (to bear it silently and live on), describing his own choice after castration to finish 《
史记》 (Records of the Grand Historian).
