forbear
verb /fɔːˈbeə(r)/
/fɔːrˈber/
[intransitive, transitive] (formal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they forbear | /fɔːˈbeə(r)/ /fɔːrˈber/ |
| he / she / it forbears | /fɔːˈbeəz/ /fɔːrˈberz/ |
| past simple forbore | /fɔːˈbɔː(r)/ /fɔːrˈbɔːr/ |
| past participle forborne | /fɔːˈbɔːn/ /fɔːrˈbɔːrn/ |
| -ing form forbearing | /fɔːˈbeərɪŋ/ /fɔːrˈberɪŋ/ |
- to stop yourself from saying or doing something that you could or would like to say or do
- forbear (from something/from doing something) He wanted to answer back, but he forbore from doing so.
- forbear to do something She forbore to ask any further questions.
Word Originverb Old English forberan (from for- and bear(verb)). The original senses were ‘endure, bear with’, hence ‘endure the absence of, do without’, also ‘control oneself’, hence ‘refrain from’ (Middle English).