verb (used with object),bore or (Archaic) bare;borne or born;bear·ing.
to hold up; support: to bear the weight of the roof.
to hold or remain firm under (a load): The roof will not bear the strain of his weight.
to bring forth (young); give birth to: to bear a child.
to produce by natural growth: a tree that bears fruit.
to hold up under; be capable of: His claim doesn't bear close examination.
to press or push against: The crowd was borne back by the police.
to hold or carry (oneself, one's body, one's head, etc.): to bear oneself erectly.
to conduct (oneself): to bear oneself bravely.
to suffer; endure; undergo: to bear the blame.
to sustain without yielding or suffering injury; tolerate (usually used in negative constructions, unless qualified): I can't bear your nagging. I can hardly bear to see her suffering so.
to be fit for or worthy of: It doesn't bear repeating.
to carry; bring: to bear gifts.
to carry in the mind or heart: to bear love;to bear malice.
to transmit or spread (gossip, tales, etc.).
to render; afford; give: to bear witness;to bear testimony.
to lead; guide; take: They bore him home.
to have and be entitled to: to bear title.
to exhibit; show: to bear a resemblance.
to accept or have, as an obligation: to bear responsibility;to bear the cost.
to stand in (a relation or ratio); have or show correlatively: the relation that price bears to profit.
to possess, as a quality or characteristic; have in or on: to bear traces;to bear an inscription.
to have and use; exercise: to bear authority;to bear sway.
verb (used without object),bore or (Archaic) bare;borne or born;bear·ing.
to tend in a course or direction; move; go: to bear west;to bear left at the fork in the road.
to be located or situated: The lighthouse bears due north.
to bring forth young or fruit: Next year the tree will bear.
Verb Phrases
bear down,
to press or weigh down.
to strive harder; intensify one's efforts: We can't hope to finish unless everyone bears down.
Nautical.to approach from windward, as a ship: The cutter was bearing down the channel at twelve knots.
bear down on / upon
to press or weigh down on.
to strive toward.
to approach something rapidly.
Nautical.to approach (another vessel) from windward: The sloop bore down on us, narrowly missing our stern.
bear off,
Nautical.to keep (a boat) from touching or rubbing against a dock, another boat, etc.
Nautical.to steer away.
Backgammon.to remove the stones from the board after they are all home.
bear on / uponto affect, relate to, or have connection with; be relevant to: This information may bear on the case.
bear out,to substantiate; confirm: The facts bear me out.
bear up,to endure; face hardship bravely: It is inspiring to see them bearing up so well.
bear with,to be patient or forbearing with: Please bear with me until I finish the story.
Idioms for bear
bring to bear, to concentrate on with a specific purpose: Pressure was brought to bear on those with overdue accounts.
Origin of bear
1
First recorded before 900; Middle English beren, Old English beran; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German beran, Dutch baren, Old Frisian, Old Norse bera, Gothic bairan, German (ge)bären, Russian berët “(he) takes,” Albanian bie, Tocharian pär-, Phrygian ab-beret “(he) brings,” Latin ferre, Old Irish berid “(he) carries,” Armenian berem, Greek phérein, Sanskrit bhárati, Avestan baraiti; from Indo-European bher- (see -fer, -phore)
SYNONYMS FOR bear
1 uphold, sustain.
4 yield.
6 thrust, drive, force.
10 brook, abide, suffer.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR bear ON THESAURUS.COM
synonym study for bear
10. Bear,stand,endure refer to supporting the burden of something distressing, irksome, or painful. Bear and stand are close synonyms and have a general sense of withstanding: to bear a disappointment well; to stand a loss.Endure implies continued resistance and patience in bearing through a long time: to endure torture.
words often confused with bear
Since the latter part of the 18th century, a distinction has been made between born and borne as past participles of the verb bear1 . Borne is the past participle in all senses that do not refer to physical birth: The wheatfields have borne abundantly this year. Judges have always borne a burden of responsibility.Borne is also the participle when the sense is “to bring forth (young)” and the focus is on the mother rather than on the child. In such cases, borne is preceded by a form of have or followed by by: Anna had borne a son the previous year. Two children borne by her earlier were already grown. When the focus is on the offspring or on something brought forth as if by birth, born is the standard spelling, and it occurs only in passive constructions: My friend was born in Ohio. No children have been born at the South Pole. A strange desire was born of the tragic experience.Born is also an adjective meaning “by birth,” “innate,” or “native”: born free; a born troublemaker; Mexican-born.
any of the plantigrade, carnivorous or omnivorous mammals of the family Ursidae, having massive bodies, coarse heavy fur, relatively short limbs, and almost rudimentary tails.
any of various animals resembling the bear, as the ant bear.
a gruff, burly, clumsy, bad-mannered, or rude person.
a person who believes that market prices, especially of stocks, will decline (opposed to bull).
Informal. a person who shows great ability, enthusiasm, stamina, etc.: a bear for physics.
(initial capital letter)Astronomy. either of two constellations, Ursa Major or Ursa Minor.
Informal. a player at cards who rarely bluffs.
(initial capital letter) Russia.
adjective
having to do with or marked by declining prices, as of stocks: bear market.
verb (used with object),beared,bear·ing.
Stock Exchange. to force prices down in (a market, stock, etc.).
Origin of bear
2
before 1000; Middle English be(a)re, beor(e), Old English bera; cognate with Frisian bār,Dutch beer,Old High German bero (German Bär); <Germanic *beran- literally, the brown one; akin to Old Norse bjǫrn, bersi; compare Lithuanian bė́ras brown. Cf. bruin
OTHER WORDS FROM bear
bearlike,adjective
Definition for bear (3 of 3)
Bear
[ bair ]
/ bɛər /
noun
Mount Bear,a mountain in southern Alaska, in the Saint Elias Mountains. 14,831 feet (4,520 meters).
While Neumann’s job meant she was involved, Troye was consistently bearing witness not just early in the outbreak, but through its resurgence this summer, when virtually every other First World country had things much more under control.
A devastating picture of Trump’s coronavirus response — from a firsthand witness|Aaron Blake|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
As wildfires bear down on the West Coast, many have lost their homes or had to evacuate.
California wildfires may give way to massive mudslides|Ula Chrobak|September 17, 2020|Popular Science
Bernstein notes that while further study is required, there is evidence that air pollution affects birth outcomes—babies are more like to be born pre-term or at low birth weights—and development.
Why fighting climate change is key to America’s health|Erika Fry|September 16, 2020|Fortune
Since they’re born in freshwater streams but then migrate to the sea to mature, salmon serve as a link between saltwater and freshwater ecosystems, bringing nutrients from the oceans inland and vice versa.
This Startup Is Growing Sushi-Grade Salmon From Cells in a Lab|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|September 16, 2020|Singularity Hub
He was born in Scranton and grew up and still resides in Wilmington, a short drive down Interstate 95 from Philadelphia.
Trump, in town hall, says he wouldn’t have done anything differently on pandemic|Colby Itkowitz, Josh Dawsey, Felicia Sonmez, John Wagner|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
“If Charleston harbor needs improvement, let the commerce of Charleston bear the burden,” he said.
Steve Scalise Shows There’s a Fine Line Between Confederate & Southern|Lloyd Green|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He said, “I am breaking my heart over this story, and cannot bear to finish it.”
How Dickens and Scrooge Saved Christmas|Clive Irving|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Once again he accused the West of being unfair to Russia, bringing back his favorite metaphor, the Russian bear.
After His Disastrous Annual Press Conference, Putin Needs A Hug|Anna Nemtsova|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Maybe our dear bear should sit quietly, not chase piglets and just eat berries and honey.
After His Disastrous Annual Press Conference, Putin Needs A Hug|Anna Nemtsova|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Putin suggested that all the West wanted was to turn the Russian bear into “taxidermy.”
After His Disastrous Annual Press Conference, Putin Needs A Hug|Anna Nemtsova|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She prayed for strength to bear it, and resigned herself to Gods will.
The Other World; or, Glimpses of the Supernatural (Vol. I of II)|Various
Besides, his arms did not bear the slightest trace of a wound.
The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar|Maurice Leblanc
It's the same thing that my father used to say to me: "Play fair, Ted—and then if you lose, why, you must grin and bear it."
I Walked in Arden|Jack Crawford
She must suffer, her conscience must trouble her, in a way her life must be as hard to bear as his.
Fast as the Wind|Nat Gould
Close by the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table.
The Bible Story|Rev. Newton Marshall Hall
British Dictionary definitions for bear (1 of 3)
bear1
/ (bɛə) /
verbbears, bearing, boreorborne(mainly tr)
to support or hold up; sustain
to bring or conveyto bear gifts
to take, accept, or assume the responsibility ofto bear an expense
(past participle bornin passive use except when foll by by)to give birth toto bear children
(also intr)to produce by or as if by natural growthto bear fruit
to tolerate or endureshe couldn't bear him
to admit of; sustainhis story does not bear scrutiny
to hold in the conscious mind or in one's feelingsto bear a grudge; I'll bear that idea in mind
to show or be marked withhe still bears the scars
to transmit or spreadto bear gossip
to render or supply (esp in the phrase bear witness)
to conduct or manage (oneself, the body, etc)she bore her head high
to have, be, or stand in (relation or comparison)his account bears no relation to the facts
(intr)to move, be located, or lie in a specified directionthe way bears east
to have by right; be entitled to (esp in the phrase bear title)
bear a handto give assistance
bring to bearto bring into operation or effecthe brought his knowledge to bear on the situation
See also bear down, bear off, bear on, bear out, bear up, bear with, born
Word Origin for bear
Old English beran; related to Old Norse bera, Old High German beran to carry, Latin ferre, Greek pherein to bear, Sanskrit bharati he carries
British Dictionary definitions for bear (2 of 3)
bear2
/ (bɛə) /
nounpluralbearsorbear
any plantigrade mammal of the family Ursidae : order Carnivora (carnivores). Bears are typically massive omnivorous animals with a large head, a long shaggy coat, and strong clawsSee also black bear, brown bear, polar bear Related adjective: ursine
any of various bearlike animals, such as the koala and the ant bear
a clumsy, churlish, or ill-mannered person
a teddy bear
stock exchange
a speculator who sells in anticipation of falling prices to make a profit on repurchase
“Bare” vs. “Bear”: What Is The Difference?We can't bear to let you be confused about the correct ways to use "bear" versus "bare" any longer. Read up on the differences between the two.