Definition of the word bear

Noun

Traffic in Knoxville, Tennessee, can be a bear anytime, but in late spring the slowdowns on Neyland Drive are often caused by Canada geese.


Joelle Anthony, Audubon, November-December 2004


True, the rally has been around the corner since Memorial Day. But bears have dominated market sentiment for so long since the Federal Reserve Board raised interest rates last February, that traders feel the market is headed for a major tectonic shift …


Anthony Ramirez, New York Times, 19 July 1994


Hikers in the woods are far more likely to wear a bell to deter bears than to take precautions against bees. But bears kill two to seven people in North America annually, bee stings kill 600 to 900.


Allan J. Davison, Chemical & Engineering News, 15 Mar. 1993



a mother bear and her cubs



The bears outnumbered the bulls on Wall Street today.

Verb

A stone slab bearing 3,000-year-old writing previously unknown to scholars has been found in the Mexican state of Veracruz, and archaeologists say it is an example of the oldest script ever discovered in the Western Hemisphere.


John Noble Wilford, New York Times, 15 Sept. 2006


Large public buildings often bear only a loose resemblance to what was originally in the minds of the architects who designed them. Things get cut back to save money; somebody has second thoughts about the way part of the building will function; it takes so long to get public approval that the original idea starts to seem dated …


Paul Goldberger, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2002


The most famous work of Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), of course, was purifying milk with the process that now bears his name.


Brendan Miniter, American Enterprise, September/October 1998


In so-called parking schemes, securities aren’t carried on the books of the true owner but are temporarily sold to someone else with the understanding that the seller will continue to bear any risk of loss and reap any profits.


James B. Stewart, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 1993


As a science fiction buff, many years ago, I remember being particularly fascinated by tales of genetic surgery. Imagine the surgeon … peering through the electron microscope, repairing the sickle-cell gene and returning the ovum to its mother, who would then bear a normal child.


Richard Novick, New York Times Book Review, 15 Feb. 1987


The sight of Niña already there, snugged down as if she had been at home a month, finished Martín Alonso Pinzón. Older than Columbus, ill from the hardships of the voyage, mortified by his snub from the Sovereigns, he could bear no more.


Samuel Eliot Morison, The European Discovery of America, 1974



a symphony that can bear comparison with Beethoven’s best



The company agreed to bear the costs.



The criminals must bear full responsibility for the deaths of these innocent people.



Who will bear the blame for this tragedy?

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Recent Examples on the Web



With 60 mg of sodium per bear, Rip Van Keto Gummy Bears provide a great source of electrolytes and help keep your ketones high throughout the day.


Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 18 Mar. 2023





Traditionally, chronotypes are associated with four animals — a wolf, lion, bear, or dolphin — based on the animals’ natural sleeping patterns.


Victoria Song, The Verge, 15 Mar. 2023





Viral clips of Elizabeth Banks stumbling over the hem of her dress — and blaming it on the bear — surfaced after the awards show.


Rae Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 13 Mar. 2023





The third installment of the Ant-Man franchise earned an additional $7 million at the domestic box office, while Elizabeth Banks’ kooky horror comedy based on a real-life, cocaine-inducing bear earned an extra $6.2 million.


Jessica Wang, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2023





The bear, called Sasha, is dressed in a jacket Margaret sewed in Terezin.


Bryan Marquard, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Mar. 2023





Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium spans 160 acres and was first opened in 1895, and only had several animals including a moose, a bear, and fish, according to the Zoo’s historical records.


Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2023





Try this knee-friendly HIIT circuit: deadlift to row, squat to overhead press, lateral bear crawl, mountain climbers, and Russian twists.


Andi Breitowich, Women’s Health, 9 Mar. 2023





But the fate of the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Bernese bear, which is camouflaged climbing the mountain in the current logo, remains unknown.


Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2023




Courtesy Gucci To the uninitiated, the Horsebit 1955 might bear a strong resemblance to the initial design from six decades ago, introduced in 1955, two years after the hardware appeared in the brand’s collections.


Claire Stern, ELLE, 23 Mar. 2023





The emergency departments at Florida hospitals bear the brunt of the country’s public health failures, with an increasing flood of uninsured who use it for primary care.


Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2023





The White House strategy would also aim to persuade large software companies to bear more responsibility for building better security into their products.


Kevin Collier, NBC News, 2 Mar. 2023





Jackson said the film continues to bear fruit, both for the university and for the Africatown community.


al, 2 Mar. 2023





Two of these 5-inch pins are used to bear 90 percent of the load fixing the vertical stabilizer (ie. tail fin) on the C-135 family of aircraft.


Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 1 Mar. 2023





Both were carrying a secret burden that became too much to bear.


Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2023





Hurricane Irma knocked out the power to the nursing home’s air-conditioning system, leaving the elderly residents to bear temperatures as high as 99 degrees for 62 hours.


Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2023





Johnson: That is where New Orleans really comes to bear.


Hunter Ingram, Variety, 26 Feb. 2023



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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘bear.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Other forms: bearing; borne; bears

To bear is to carry or endure, whether by physical or mental force. If you can bear to read on, you’ll find out all the different ways to use the word bear.

Obviously you know the big hairy mountain-roaming animal, but you might not have heard about a bear on Wall Street — an investor who is pessimistic about the market. In its verb form, bear is rooted in the Old English beran, meaning “to bring forth, sustain, endure” and more. So you can bear (or carry) a grudge. You can bear (or give birth to) children. Or you can bear (or stand) to listen to your great aunt tell the same story for the umpteenth time if you have a kind soul.

Definitions of bear

  1. “She is
    bearing his child”

    synonyms:

    carry, expect, gestate, have a bun in the oven

    birth, deliver, give birth, have

    cause to be born

    expect

    look forward to the birth of a child

  2. verb

    bring forth, «The apple tree bore delicious apples this year»

    “The unidentified plant
    bore gorgeous flowers”

    synonyms:

    turn out

  3. bear a resemblance”

    bear a signature”

  4. verb

    have rightfully; of rights, titles, and offices

    “She
    bears the title of Duchess”

    synonyms:

    hold

  5. “interest-
    bearing accounts”

    synonyms:

    pay, yield

  6. verb

    move while holding up or supporting

    Bear gifts”

    bear a heavy load”

    bear news”

    “bearing
    orders

    see moresee less

    types:

    frogmarch

    carry someone against his will upside down such that each limb is held by one person

    type of:

    carry, transport

    move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one’s hands or on one’s body

  7. verb

    support or hold in a certain manner

    synonyms:

    carry, hold

    see moresee less

    types:

    show 11 types…
    hide 11 types…
    sling

    hold or carry in a sling

    stoop

    carry oneself, often habitually, with head, shoulders, and upper back bent forward

    piggyback

    support on the back and shoulders

    balance, poise

    hold or carry in equilibrium

    acquit, behave, carry, comport, conduct, deport

    behave in a certain manner

    juggle

    hold with difficulty and balance insecurely

    fluster

    be flustered; behave in a confused manner

    assert, put forward

    insist on having one’s opinions and rights recognized

    deal

    behave in a certain way towards others

    walk around

    behave in a certain manner or have certain properties

    pose, posture

    behave affectedly or unnaturally in order to impress others

  8. verb

    contain or hold; have within

    synonyms:

    carry, contain, hold

    contain, hold, take

    be capable of holding or containing

  9. verb

    have on one’s person

    bear a scar”

    synonyms:

    wear

  10. verb

    put up with something or somebody unpleasant

    “I cannot
    bear his constant criticism”

    synonyms:

    abide, brook, digest, endure, put up, stand, stick out, stomach, suffer, support, tolerate

    suffer

    experience (emotional) pain

  11. verb

    take on as one’s own the expenses or debts of another person

    “She agreed to
    bear the responsibility”

    synonyms:

    accept, assume, take over

  12. verb

    behave in a certain manner

    “he
    bore himself with dignity”

    synonyms:

    acquit, behave, carry, comport, conduct, deport

  13. noun

    a massive carnivorous or omnivorous mammal with a long shaggy coat and strong claws

    see moresee less

    types:

    show 11 types…
    hide 11 types…
    bear cub

    a young bear

    Ursus arctos, brown bear, bruin

    large ferocious bear of Eurasia

    bruin

    a conventional name for a bear used in tales following usage in the old epic `Reynard the Fox’

    American black bear, Euarctos americanus, Ursus americanus, black bear

    brown to black North American bear; smaller and less ferocious than the brown bear

    Asiatic black bear, Selenarctos thibetanus, Ursus thibetanus, black bear

    bear with a black coat living in central and eastern Asia

    Thalarctos maritimus, Ursus Maritimus, ice bear, polar bear

    white bear of Arctic regions

    Melursus ursinus, Ursus ursinus, sloth bear

    common coarse-haired long-snouted bear of south-central Asia

    Syrian bear, Ursus arctos syriacus

    yellowish-grey Syrian brown bear

    Ursus arctos horribilis, Ursus horribilis, grizzly, grizzly bear, silver-tip, silvertip

    powerful brownish-yellow bear of the uplands of western North America

    Alaskan brown bear, Kodiak, Kodiak bear, Ursus arctos middendorffi, Ursus middendorffi

    brown bear of coastal Alaska and British Columbia

    cinnamon bear

    reddish-brown color phase of the American black bear

    type of:

    carnivore

    a terrestrial or aquatic flesh-eating mammal

  14. noun

    an investor with a pessimistic market outlook; an investor who expects prices to fall and so sells now in order to buy later at a lower price

    see moresee less

    Antonyms:

    bull

    an investor with an optimistic market outlook; an investor who expects prices to rise and so buys now for resale later

    type of:

    investor

    someone who commits capital in order to gain financial returns

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘bear’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback

Commonly confused words

bare / bear

Bare means naked, but to bear is to carry something. A bear is also a brown furry animal, but most people keep that one straight.

Continue reading…

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Britannica Dictionary definition of BEAR

[count]

:

any one of a group of large and heavy animals that have thick hair and sharp claws and that can stand on two legs like a person

  • a mother bear and her cubs

sometimes used figuratively to describe a large man

  • a tall, friendly bear of a man

  • My father can be a grumpy old bear when he’s tired.

◊ In informal British English, a person who becomes angry or annoyed very easily is (like) a bear with a sore head.

  • My father can be like a bear with a sore head when he’s tired.




see also black bear, grizzly bear, polar bear, teddy bear

finance

:

a person who expects the price of stocks to go down and who sells them to avoid losing money

  • The bears outnumbered the bulls on Wall Street today.




compare 1bull;


see also bear market

US, informal

:

something that is difficult to do or deal with

  • This oven is a bear to clean. [=this oven is very hard to clean]

Britannica Dictionary definition of BEAR

:

to accept or endure (something)

[+ object]

  • He bore [=tolerated] their insults patiently.

usually used in questions and negative statements with can, can’t, could, and couldn’t

  • He could hardly bear [=stand] the pain.

  • I can’t bear cold weather. [=I strongly dislike cold weather]

  • I couldn’t bear the suspense.

  • I can’t bear it if/when people behave like that!

  • I can’t bear doing this. = I can’t bear to do this.

  • How can you bear to see him again after the way he’s treated you?

  • I couldn’t bear you to get the wrong idea.

  • I couldn’t bear his behavior. = His behavior was more than I could bear.

  • I couldn’t bear the thought/idea of moving again.

[no object]

(US)

+ for

  • I couldn’t bear for you to get the wrong idea.

[+ object]

:

to be worthy of (something)

:

to deserve or allow (something)

  • a joke too silly to bear repeating [=a joke that is too silly to be worth repeating]

  • It’s so horrible it doesn’t bear thinking about! [=it’s so horrible that I don’t want to think about it]

  • a symphony that can bear comparison with Beethoven’s best

  • a plan that will not bear [=withstand] close scrutiny/examination

  • suspicious behavior that bears watching [=that should be watched]

[+ object]

:

to assume or accept (something, such as cost or responsibility)

  • The company agreed to bear the costs/expenses.

  • The criminals must bear full responsibility for the deaths of these innocent people.

  • Who will bear the blame for this tragedy?

[+ object]

somewhat formal + literary

:

to move while holding up and supporting (something)

:


carry

  • The demonstrators bore banners and sang songs.

  • They arrived bearing gifts.

  • The leaves were borne aloft/away by the wind.

  • disease-bearing germs [=germs that carry and spread diseases]

  • germ-borne diseases [=diseases that are carried and spread by germs]

  • He believes that citizens should have the right to bear arms. [=to carry weapons]

◊ If something is borne in on/upon you, it is made very clear to you. This is a formal phrase.

  • It was borne in on us by the new evidence that prompt action was very important. [=the new evidence strongly indicated that prompt action was very important]

[+ object]

:

to have (something) as a feature or characteristic

  • His leg was badly injured in the accident and it still bears [=shows] the scars/wounds/marks.

  • His face bears marks/signs of suffering.

  • Your conclusion bears [=has] no relation to the evidence.

  • She bore a resemblance to her aunt. [=she looked like her aunt]

:

to have a surface on which something is written, drawn, etc.

  • The cornerstone bears a Latin inscription.

  • a letter bearing the date of 1900

  • a shield bearing strange symbols

:

to have (a name, price, etc.)

  • He bore the name (of) John.

  • The store sells imported goods bearing [=having, with] high prices.

:

to have or hold (a feeling) in the mind

  • She still bears a grudge against him. = She still bears him a grudge.

  • She says she bears him no resentment for the way he treated her.

  • I can’t deny the love I still bear [=feel] for her.

[+ object]

formal

:

to give birth to (a child)

  • She has borne three children.

  • She has borne her husband three children.

:

to produce (something)

  • a bank account that bears interest = an interest-bearing bank account

  • a bush that bears red flowers

  • trees that bear fruit




see also bear fruit (below)

[+ object]

:

to support the weight of (something)

  • How much weight is that wall able to bear?

[no object]

:

to go, move, or turn in a specified direction

  • Bear south.

  • The road bears (to the) right.

  • When you get to the fork in the road, you should bear [=turn] left.

◊ Do not confuse bear with bare.

bear down

[phrasal verb]

US

:

to use all of your strength and effort to do something

:

to try very hard to do something

  • The pitcher bore down and struck out the last batter.

  • If we’re going to finish on time, we really have to bear down.

bear down on

[phrasal verb]

bear down on (something)

:

to push or lean down on (something)

  • The old man bore down heavily on his cane.

  • She bore down hard on her pencil.

bear down on (someone)

:

to place pressure on (someone)

  • Don’t let your problems bear down too hard on you. [=don’t let your problems weigh you down]

bear down on (someone or something)

:

to approach or move toward (something or someone) quickly and in a frightening or impressive way

  • The enemy battleship bore down on us.

bear fruit

:

to produce a desired result or reward

  • All his plans have finally borne fruit. [=all his plans have finally been realized]




see also 2bear 6b (above)

bear on (something)

formal

:

to have an effect on (something)

  • Personal feelings did not bear on our decision. [=did not affect or influence our decision]

:

to apply or relate to (something)

  • What are the facts bearing directly on this matter?

bear out (something or someone)

or

bear (something or someone) out

:

to show the correctness of (something or someone)

  • The facts bore out [=confirmed] her story. [=the facts showed that her story was true]

  • Research has fully borne him out. [=has shown that he was completely correct]

:

to not be overwhelmed during a time of trouble, pain, etc.

  • She’s been going through a tough time, but she’s bearing up pretty well.

often + under

  • She has found it hard to bear up under the strain.

bear with (someone)

:

to be patient with (someone)

  • I’ll have that information for you soon. Just bear with me for another minute or two.

:

to move, stand, or behave in a specified way

  • The soldier bore himself [=carried himself] stiffly upright.

  • The soldier never failed to bear himself [=conduct himself, behave] courageously on the battlefield.

  • He always bore himself [=behaved] like a gentleman.

bring (something) to bear

:

to cause (something) to have an effect or influence

  • The company’s new president brings 30 years of experience to bear.

  • If we hope to resolve these issues, more resources must be brought to bear.

often used with on

  • They will bring their considerable skills/talent/experience/knowledge to bear on the problem.

  • The demonstrators will continue to bring pressure to bear on the government.

grin and bear it




see grin

English[edit]

A brown bear

Pronunciation[edit]

  • enPR: bâr
    • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /bɛə(ɹ)/, /bɛː(ɹ)/
    • (General American) IPA(key): /bɛɚ/
    • (General Australian) IPA(key): /beː/, [beə]
    • (Indian English) IPA(key): /ˈbiːə(r)/, /bɛː(r)/
    • (New Zealand) IPA(key): /beə/, [beə~bɪə]
    • Homophone: bare
    • Homophone: beer (New Zealand, near–square merger)
    • Rhymes: -ɛə(ɹ)
  • (Southern American English, colloquial) IPA(key): /bɑɹ/
    • Homophone: bar (Southern US, colloquial)

Etymology 1[edit]

From Middle English bere, from Old English bera, from Proto-West Germanic *berō, from Proto-Germanic *berô (compare West Frisian bear, Dutch beer, German Bär, Danish bjørn).

etymology notes

This is generally taken to be from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (shining, brown) (compare Tocharian A parno, Tocharian B perne (radiant, luminous), Lithuanian bė́ras (brown)), related to brown, bruin, and beaver.

The Germanic languages replaced the older name of the bear, *h₂ŕ̥tḱos, with the epithet «brown one», presumably due to taboo avoidance; compare Russian медве́дь (medvédʹ, bear, literally honey-eater).

However, Ringe (2006:106) doubts the existence of a root *bʰer- meaning «brown» («an actual PIE word of [the requisite] shape and meaning is not recoverable») and suggests that a derivation from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰwer- (wild animal) «should therefore perhaps be preferred», implying a Germanic merger of *ǵʰw and *gʷʰ (*gʷʰ may sometimes result in Germanic *b, perhaps e.g. in *bidjaną, but it also seems to have given the g in gun and the w in warm).

Noun[edit]

bear (plural bears)

  1. A large, generally omnivorous mammal (a few species are purely carnivorous or herbivorous), related to the dog and raccoon, having shaggy hair, a very small tail, and flat feet; a member of the family Ursidae.
    1. (cooking, uncountable) The meat of this animal.

      We had barbecued bear for dinner.

  2. (figuratively) A rough, unmannerly, uncouth person. [1579]
  3. (finance) An investor who sells commodities, securities, or futures in anticipation of a fall in prices. [1744]
    Antonym: bull
    • 1821, Bank of England, The Bank — The Stock Exchange — The Bankers … (page 64)
      This accompt has been made to appear a bull accompt, i.e. that the bulls cannot take their stock. The fact is the reverse; it is a bear accompt, but the bears, unable to deliver their stock, have conjointly banged the market, and pocketed the tickets, to defeat the rise and loss that would have ensued to them by their buying on a rising price on the accompt day []
  4. (CB radio, slang, US) A state policeman (short for Smokey Bear). [1970s]
    • 1975, C.W. McCall and Chip Davis (lyrics), “Convoy”, in Black Bear Road, performed by C. W. McCall:

      By the time we got into Tulsa Town
      We had eighty-five trucks in all
      But there’s a roadblock up on the cloverleaf
      And them bears was wall-to-wall.
      Yeah, them smokies is thick as bugs on a bumper
      They even had a bear in the air.
      I says, «Callin’ all trucks, this here’s the Duck.
      We about to go a-huntin’ bear

    • 1976 June, CB Magazine, Communications Publication Corporation, Oklahoma City, June 40/3:
      ‘The bear’s pulling somebody off there at 74,’ reported someone else.
    • 2015, Matt Cashion, Last Words of the Holy Ghost (page 85)
      He was listening for reports of Kojaks with Kodaks, or bear sightings (cop alerts) at his front door (ahead of him), especially plain wrappers (unmarked police cars) parked at specific yardsticks (mile-markers) taking pictures []
  5. (gay slang) A large, hairy man, especially one who is homosexual. [c. 1970][1]
    • [1979 July 26, George Mazzei, “Who’s Who in the Zoo?: A Glossary of Gay Animals”, in Robert I. McQueen, editor, The Advocate[2], number 272, Liberation Publications, →ISSN, archived from the original on 2014-04-18, page 42:

      Bears are usually hunky, chunky types reminiscent of railroad engineers and former football greats.]

    • 2004, Richard Goldstein, Why I’m Not a Bear, in The Advocate, number 913, 27 April 2004, page 72:
      I have everything it takes to be a bear: broad shoulders, full beard, semibald pate, and lots of body hair. But I don’t want to be a fetish.
    • 2006, Simon LeVay, Sharon McBride Valente, Human sexuality:
      There are numerous social organizations for bears in most parts of the United States. Lesbians don’t have such prominent sexual subcultures as gay men, although, as just mentioned, some lesbians are into BDSM practices.
    Antonym: twink
  6. (engineering) A portable punching machine.
  7. (nautical) A block covered with coarse matting, used to scour the deck.
  8. (cartomancy) The fifteenth Lenormand card.
  9. (colloquial, US) Something difficult or tiresome; a burden or chore.

    That window can be a bear to open.

    • 2014, Joe Buda, Pilgrims’ Passage: Into a New Millennium; Rebuilding the Past:

      «This was a real bear to refinish. You can’t believe how hard it was right here to get a thousand years of crud out of this carving.»

Synonyms[edit]
  • (large omnivorous mammal): see Thesaurus:bear
  • (rough, uncouth person): see Thesaurus:troublemaker
  • (police officer): see Thesaurus:police officer
Derived terms[edit]
  • American black bear
  • ant bear
  • ant-bear
  • Arctic bear
  • arctic bear
  • Asian black bear
  • Atlas bear
  • Australian bear
  • average bear
  • bear bait
  • bear baiting
  • bear banger
  • bear cat/bearcat
  • bear claw
  • bear crawl
  • Bear Creek
  • bear cub
  • bear date
  • bear garden
  • bear garlic
  • bear grass
  • bear hug
  • bear in the air
  • Bear Lake
  • bear leader
  • bear market
  • bear meat
  • bear pit
  • bear raid
  • Bear River
  • bear sign
  • bear spread
  • bear the bell
  • bear walker
  • bear-bait
  • bear-baiting
  • bear-trap dam
  • bear-ward
  • bear-whelp
  • bearish
  • bearly
  • bear’s breech
  • bear’s-paw
  • Bearspaw
  • beartrap/bear trap
  • black bear
  • brown bear
  • bug-bear
  • cat bear
  • cave bear
  • dancing bear
  • does a bear crap in the woods
  • does a bear poop in the woods
  • does a bear shit in the woods
  • don’t sell the skin till you have caught the bear
  • drop bear
  • drop-bear
  • Etruscan bear
  • Gobi bear
  • Great Bear
  • grizzly bear
  • grolar bear
  • gummi bear
  • gummy bear
  • he-bear
  • honey bear
  • ice bear
  • Jer-bear
  • Kermode bear
  • Kiwi bear
  • koala bear
  • kodiak bear/Kodiak bear
  • labiated bear
  • lava bear
  • like a bear with a sore head
  • lip bear
  • Little Bear
  • loaded for bear
  • Louisiana black bear
  • mad as a bear with a sore head
  • mama bear
  • mama-bear
  • mamma bear
  • mini-bear
  • minibear
  • moon bear
  • native bear
  • off-bear
  • panda bear
  • pizzly bear
  • poke the bear
  • polar bear
  • polar bear dip
  • polar bear plunge
  • polar bear swim
  • problem bear
  • Russian bear/Russian Bear
  • sand bear
  • sea bear
  • she-bear
  • short-faced bear
  • sloth bear
  • smokey bear
  • sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you
  • space bear
  • spectacled bear
  • spirit bear
  • sugar bear
  • sun bear
  • teddie bear
  • teddy bear
  • Walking Bear
  • water bear
  • weight bear
  • weight-bear
  • white bear
  • white bear problem
  • woolly-bear
  • wooly bear/woolly bear
[edit]
  • (large, hairy gay man): otter, twink, twunk
Descendants[edit]
  • Hawaiian: pea
  • Irish: béar
  • Maori: pea
  • Niuean: pea
  • Tahitian: pea
  • Tokelauan: pea
  • Wallisian: pea
Translations[edit]

Verb[edit]

bear (third-person singular simple present bears, present participle bearing, simple past and past participle beared)

  1. (finance, transitive) To endeavour to depress the price of, or prices in.

    to bear a railroad stock

    to bear the market

Adjective[edit]

bear (not comparable)

  1. (finance, investments) Characterized by declining prices in securities markets or by belief that the prices will fall.

    The great bear market starting in 1929 scared a whole generation of investors.

Translations[edit]

See also[edit]

  • ursine
  • Appendix:Animals
  • Appendix:English collective nouns

References[edit]

  1. ^ Matthew D. Johnson (2004), “Bear Movement”, in Archives of the glbtq Encyclopedia Project[1] (PDF), archived from the original on 2017-01-10: “Bear culture has its origins in informal «chubby and chubby-chaser» networks among gay men in the late 1960s and early 1970s.”
  • Donald A. Ringe, From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic (2006), Linguistic history of English, vol. 1, Oxford: Oxford University Press →ISBN

Further reading[edit]

  • bear on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Etymology 2[edit]

From Middle English beren (carry, bring forth), from Old English beran (to carry, bear, bring), from Proto-West Germanic *beran, from Proto-Germanic *beraną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti, from *bʰer- (to bear, carry).

Akin to Old High German beran (carry), Dutch baren, Norwegian Bokmål bære, Norwegian Nynorsk bera, German gebären, Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌰𐌽 (bairan), Sanskrit भरति (bhárati), Latin ferre, and Ancient Greek φέρειν (phérein), Albanian bie (to bring, to bear), Russian брать (bratʹ, to take), Persian بردن(bordan, to take, to carry).

Verb[edit]

bear (third-person singular simple present bears, present participle bearing, simple past bore or (archaic) bare, past participle borne or bore or (see usage notes) born)

  1. (chiefly transitive) To carry or convey, literally or figuratively.

    They came bearing gifts.

    Judging from the look on his face, he wasn’t bearing good news.

    The little boat bore us to our destination.

    This plant’s light and fluffy seeds may be borne by the wind to remote islands.

    • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [] (First Folio), London: [] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

      I’ll bear your logs the while.

    • 1852, Mrs M.A. Thompson, “The Tutor’s Daughter”, in Graham’s American Monthly Magazine of Literature, Art, and Fashion[3], page 266:

      In the lightness of my heart I sang catches of songs as my horse gayly bore me along the well-remembered road.

    • 1954 March, Ray Bradbury, “All Summer in a Day”, in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction[4], volume 6, number 3, page 122:

      They surged about her, caught her up and bore her.

    1. (transitive, of weapons, flags or symbols of rank, office, etc.) To carry upon one’s person, especially visibly; to be equipped with.

      the right to bear arms

    2. (transitive, of garments, pieces of jewellery, etc.) To wear. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
    3. (transitive, rarely intransitive, of a woman or female animal) To carry (offspring in the womb), to be pregnant (with).

      The scan showed that the ewe was bearing twins.

    4. (transitive) To have or display (a mark or other feature).

      She still bears the scars from a cycling accident.

      The stone bears a short inscription.

      This bears all the hallmarks of a terrorist attack.

    5. (transitive) To display (a particular heraldic device) on a shield or coat of arms; to be entitled to wear or use (a heraldic device) as a coat of arms. [1400]

      The shield bore a red cross.

    6. (transitive) To present or exhibit (a particular outward appearance); to have (a certain look). [1200]

      He bore the look of a defeated man.

      • 1930, Essex Chronicle 18 April 9/5:

        The body was unclothed, and bore the appearance of being washed up by the sea.

    7. (transitive) To have (a name, title, or designation). [1225]

      The school still bears the name of its founder.

      • 2005, Lesley Brown, translator, Plato, Sophist. 234b:
        […] imitations that bear the same name as the things […]
      • 2013, D. Goldberg, Universe in Rearview Mirror iii. 99:
        Heinrich Olbers described the paradox that bears his name in 1823.
    8. (transitive) To possess or enjoy (recognition, renown, a reputation, etc.); to have (a particular price, value, or worth). [1393]

      The dictator bears a terrible reputation for cruelty.

    9. (transitive, of an investment, loan, etc.) To have (interest or a specified rate of interest) stipulated in its terms. [1686]

      The bond bears a fixed interest rate of 3.5%.

    10. (transitive, of a person or animal) To have (an appendage, organ, etc.) as part of the body; (of a part of the body) to have (an appendage).

      Only the male Indian elephant bears tusks.

    11. (transitive) To carry or hold in the mind; to experience, entertain, harbour (an idea, feeling, or emotion).

      to bear a grudge, to bear ill will

      • c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [] (First Folio), London: [] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:

        the ancient grudge I bear him

    12. (transitive, rare) To feel and show (respect, reverence, loyalty, etc.) to, towards, or unto a person or thing.

      The brothers had always borne one another respect.

    13. (transitive) To possess inherently (a quality, attribute, power, or capacity); to have and display as an essential characteristic.

      to bear life

    14. (transitive, of a thing) To have (a relation, correspondence, etc.) to something else. [1556]

      The punishment bears no relation to the crime.

    15. (transitive) To give (written or oral testimony or evidence); (figurative) to provide or constitute (evidence or proof), give witness.

      His achievements bear testimony to his ability.

      The jury could see he was bearing false witness.

    16. (transitive) To have (a certain meaning, intent, or effect).

      This word no longer bears its original meaning.

    17. (reflexive, transitive) To behave or conduct (oneself).

      She bore herself well throughout the ordeal.

      • c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [] (First Folio), London: [] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:

        Thus must thou thy body bear.

      • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [] (First Folio), London: [] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:

        Hath he borne himself penitently in prison?

    18. (transitive, rare) To possess and use, to exercise (power or influence); to hold (an office, rank, or position).
      • Every man should bear rule in his own house.
    19. (intransitive, obsolete) To carry a burden or burdens. [1450]
    20. (transitive, obsolete, rare) To take or bring (a person) with oneself; to conduct. [1590]
      • c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [] (First Folio), London: [] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:

        Bear them to my house.

  2. To support, sustain, or endure.
    1. (transitive) To support or sustain; to hold up.

      This stone bears most of the weight.

    2. (now transitive outside certain set patterns such as ‘bear with’; formerly also intransitive) To endure or withstand (hardship, scrutiny, etc.); to tolerate; to be patient (with).
      Synonyms: brook, endure; see also Thesaurus:tolerate

      The pain is too much for me to bear.

      I would never move to Texas — I can’t bear heat.

      This reasoning will not bear much analysis.

      Please bear with me as I try to find the book you need.

      • 1700, John Dryden, «Meleager and Atalanta», in: The poetical works, vol. 4, William Pickering, 1852, p. 169:
        I cannot, cannot bear; ’tis past , ’tis done; / Perish this impious , this detested son; []
    3. (transitive) To sustain, or be answerable for (blame, expense, responsibility, etc.).
      The hirer must bear the cost of any repairs.
      • He shall bear their iniquities.
      • 1753, John Dryden, The Spanish Friar: or, the Double Discovery, Tonson and Draper, p. 64:
        What have you gotten there under your arm, Daughter? somewhat, I hope, that will bear your Charges in your Pilgrimage.
    4. (transitive) To admit or be capable of (a meaning); to suffer or sustain without violence, injury, or change.
      • 1724, Jonathan Swift, Drapier’s Letters
        In all criminal cases the most favourable interpretation should be put on words that they can possibly bear.
    5. (transitive) To warrant, justify the need for.

      This storm definitely bears monitoring.

  3. To support, keep up, or maintain.
    1. (transitive) To afford, to be something to someone, to supply with something. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
      • 1732–4, Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man, Longmans, Green & Co, 1879, bear%20him%20company%20pope&hl=de&pg=PA10#v=onepage&q&f=false p. 10:
        [] admitted to that equal sky, / His faithful dog shall bear him company.
    2. (transitive) To carry on, or maintain; to have. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
      • 1693, John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education, § 98:
        [] and he finds the Pleasure, and Credit of bearing a Part in the Conversation, and of having his Reasons sometimes approved and hearken’d to.
  4. To press or impinge upon.
    1. (intransitive, usually with on, upon, or against) To push, thrust, press.

      The rope has frayed where it bears on the rim of the wheel.

      • 1711 September 25 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison; Richard Steele [et al.], “FRIDAY, September 14, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 170; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, [], volume II, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC:

        These men therefore bear hard upon the suspected party.
    2. (intransitive, figuratively) To take effect; to have influence or force; to be relevant.

      to bring arguments to bear

      How does this bear on the question?

    3. (intransitive, military, usually with on or upon) Of a weapon, to be aimed at an enemy or other target.

      The cannons were wheeled around to bear upon the advancing troops.

      • 2012, Ronald D. Utt, Ships of Oak, Guns of Iron
        Constitution’s gun crews crossed the deck to the already loaded larboard guns as Bainbridge wore the ship around on a larboard tack and recrossed his path in a rare double raking action to bring her guns to bear again on Java’s damaged stern.
  5. To produce, yield, give birth to.
    1. (transitive, ditransitive) To give birth to (someone or something) (may take the father of the direct object as an indirect object).

      In Troy she becomes Paris’ wife, bearing him several children, all of whom die in infancy.

      • 1984, Dune[5] (Science Fiction), →OCLC, spoken by Princess Irulan, 10:44 from the start:

        The powerful Bene Gesserit sisterhood for ninety generations has been manipulating bloodlines to produce the Kwisatz Haderach, a superbeing. On Caladan, Jessica, a member of the sisterhood and the bound concubine of Duke Leto Atreides, had been ordered to bear only daughters. Because of her love for the duke, she disobeyed and gave birth to a son: Paul, Paul Atreides.

    2. (transitive, less commonly intransitive) To produce or yield something, such as fruit or crops.

      This year our apple trees bore a good crop of fruit.

      • 1688, John Dryden, Britannia Rediviva
        Betwixt two seasons comes th’ auspicious air, / This age to blossom, and the next to bear.
  6. (intransitive, originally nautical) To be, or head, in a specific direction or azimuth (from somewhere).

    Carry on past the church and then bear left at the junction.

    By my readings, we’re bearing due south, so we should turn about ten degrees east.

    Great Falls bears north of Bozeman.

  7. (transitive, obsolete) To gain or win.
    • April 5, 1549, Hugh Latimer, The Fifth Sermon Preached Before King Edward (probably not in original spelling)
      She was [] found not guilty, through bearing of friends and bribing of the judge.
Usage notes[edit]
  • The past participle of bear is usually borne:
    • He could not have borne that load.
    • She had borne five children.
    • This is not to be borne!
  • However, when bear is used in the passive voice to mean «to be given birth to» literally or figuratively (e.g. be created, be the result of), the form used to form all tenses is born:
    • She was born on May 3.
    • Racism is usually born out of a real or feared loss of power to a minority or a real or feared decrease in relative prosperity compared to that of the minority.
    • Born three years earlier, he was the eldest of his siblings.
    • «The idea to create [the Blue Ridge Parkway] was born in the travail of the Great Depression [] .» (Tim Pegram, The Blue Ridge Parkway by Foot: A Park Ranger’s Memoir, →ISBN, 2007, page 1)
  • Both spellings have been used in the construction born(e) into the world/family and born(e) of or to someone (as a child). The borne spellings are more frequent in older and religious writings.
    • He was born(e) to Mr. Smith.
    • She was born(e) into the most powerful family in the city.
    • «[M]y father was borne to a Swedish mother and a Norwegian father, both devout Lutherans.» (David Ross, Good Morning Corfu: Living Abroad Against All Odds, →ISBN, 2009)
  • In some colloquial speech, beared can be found for both the simple past and the past participle, although it is usually considered nonstandard and avoided in writing. Similarly, bore may be extended to the past participle; the same provisos apply for this form.
Conjugation[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
  • bear a grudge
  • bear a hand
  • bear away
  • bear away the bell
  • bear down
  • bear down on
  • bear false witness
  • bear fruit
  • bear in mind
  • bear in upon
  • bear in with
  • bear off
  • bear off from
  • bear on
  • bear oneself
  • bear out
  • bear the brunt
  • bear the scars
  • bear up
  • bear upon
  • bear with
  • bear witness
  • bearing sword
  • beware of Greeks bearing gifts
  • bring to bear
  • cross to bear
  • downbear
  • forbear
  • forthbear
  • grin and bear it
  • not bear thinking about
  • offbear
  • outbear
  • overbear
  • right to keep and bear arms
  • underbear
  • upbear
Translations[edit]

to carry

  • Arabic: حَمَلَ (ar) (ḥamala)
    Egyptian Arabic: شال(šaal)
  • Bulgarian: нося (bg) (nosja), пренасям (bg) (prenasjam)
  • Burmese: ဆောင် (my) (hcaung)
  • Catalan: portar (ca)
  • Cebuano: alsa, ba, baba, bayong, bitbit, daka, kaba, kalib-ay, kugos, lukdo, paak, pas-an , sagakay, sip-it , sung-ay, yayong
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 攜帶携带 (zh) (xiédài),  (zh) (xié),  (zh) (dài),  (zh) (yùn)
  • Czech: nést (cs)
  • Dalmatian: portur
  • Danish: bære (da)
  • Dutch: dragen (nl), torsen (nl)
  • Egyptian: (jwh)
  • Finnish: kantaa (fi)
  • French: porter (fr)
  • Friulian: puartâ
  • German: tragen (de)
  • Gothic: 𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌰𐌽 (bairan)
  • Greek:
    Ancient: φέρω (phérō), αἴρω (aírō)
  • Haitian Creole: pote
  • Hebrew: סחב (he) (sakháv), נשא (he) (nasa)
  • Hindi: ले जाना (hi) (le jānā)
  • Hungarian: visz (hu), hord (hu), hordoz (hu)
  • Irish: iompair
  • Istriot: portà
  • Italian: portare (it)
  • Japanese: 運ぶ (ja) (はこぶ, hakobu), 持って行く (もっていく, motte-iku)
  • Komi-Permyak: нуны (nuny)
  • Korean: 나르다 (ko) (nareuda)
  • Kurdish:
    Northern Kurdish: birên (ku)
  • Latin: fero (la), veho (la), portō
  • Latvian: nest (lv)
  • Lithuanian: nešti (lt), nešioti
  • Macedonian: но́си (nósi)
  • Mansaka: akot, baba
  • Maori: waha, kawe, pikau, tauteka (On a pole), pakihere (With bands around the shoulder(s)), pīkau (On the back), mātika (On a stretcher or litter), amo (On the shoulder), amoamo (On the shoulder), tauapo (In the arms), tautito (Between two people), tāweka (Around the neck), hikihiki (In the arms), kauhoa (In a litter), hāpai (Of tools and armaments)
  • Maranao: baoa, akot
  • Norwegian: bære (no)
  • Occitan: portar (oc)
  • Old English: beran, ætberan (away)
  • Old Saxon: beran
  • Oromo: baachuu
  • Pashto: وړل(wṛəl)
  • Persian: بردن (fa) (bordan)
  • Plautdietsch: droagen
  • Polish: nosić (pl)
  • Portuguese: portar (pt), levar (pt), carregar (pt)
  • Romanian: căra (ro), duce (ro), purta (ro), aduce (ro)
  • Russian: носи́ть (ru) impf (nosítʹ), нести́ (ru) pf (nestí)
  • Sanskrit: भरति (sa) (bharati), धरति (sa) (dharati)
  • Scottish Gaelic: beir, giùlain
  • Slovak: nosiť, niesť
  • Slovene: nositi
  • Somali: sidaasho
  • Spanish: llevar (es)
  • Swedish: bära (sv)
  • Telugu: మోయుట (mōyuṭa)
  • Thai: ถือ (th) (tʉ̌ʉ), ขน (th) (kǒn)
  • Tocharian B: pär-
  • Turkish: götürmek (tr)
  • Udmurt: нуыны (nuyny)
  • Ukrainian: носи́ти impf (nosýty), нести́ pf (nestý)
  • Venetian: portar (vec)
  • Vietnamese: mang (vi), ẵm (vi), bế (vi), vác (vi)
  • Zazaki: berdiş
  • Zou: puo

to be equipped with

  • Bulgarian: нося (bg) (nosja)
  • Czech: nosit (cs)
  • Danish: bære (da), føre
  • Dutch: dragen (nl), uitgerust (nl) zijn (nl) met (nl)
  • Finnish: kantaa (fi)
  • French: porter (fr)
  • German: tragen (de), ausgerüstet (de) sein (de) mit (de), ausgestattet (de) German: sein (de) mit (de)
  • Hebrew: סחב (he) (sakháv)
  • Hungarian: visel (hu), bír (hu) (archaic)
  • Italian: portare (it)
  • Latin: fero (la), veho (la)
  • Lombard: portà (lmo)
  • Macedonian: но́си (nósi)
  • Norwegian: bære (no), føre (no)
  • Occitan: portar (oc)
  • Polish: nosić (pl)
  • Portuguese: portar (pt)
  • Russian: носи́ть (ru) impf (nosítʹ), нести́ (ru) pf (nestí)
  • Slovak: nosiť
  • Slovene: nositi
  • Spanish: llevar (es), portar (es)
  • Swedish: bära (sv), inneha (sv)
  • Vietnamese: vác (vi)

to declare as testimony

  • Bulgarian: свидетелствам (svidetelstvam) (bear testimony, testify)
  • Danish: vidne (da) (bear testimony)
  • Dutch: afleggen (nl)
  • Finnish: (bear testimony) todistaa (fi), antaa todistus
  • German: aussagen (de), (bear witness) bezeugen (de)
  • Hungarian: tesz (hu) (with the objects tanúbizonyságot or tanúvallomást)
  • Macedonian: све́дочи (svédoči)
  • Norwegian: føre (no)
  • Polish: zeznawać
  • Portuguese: atestar (pt)
  • Romanian: declara (ro)
  • Spanish: atestiguar (es)
  • Swedish: vittna (sv) (bear testimony)
  • Vietnamese: dẫn chứng (vi)

to have a certain meaning, intent, or effect

to manage, wield, or direct; to behave or conduct oneself

to suffer, as in carrying a burden

to support or sustain

  • Danish: understøtte
  • Dutch: dragen (nl)
  • Esperanto: elteni
  • Finnish: kantaa (fi)
  • French: supporter (fr), soutenir (fr)
  • German: ertragen (de)
  • Greek:
    Ancient: φέρω (phérō)
  • Hungarian: tart (hu), hordoz (hu)
  • Latin: ferō (la)
  • Occitan: suportar (oc), sosténer (oc)
  • Portuguese: suportar (pt)
  • Romanian: suporta (ro)
  • Russian: поддерживать (ru) (podderživatʹ)
  • Slovak: niesť
  • Spanish: soportar (es), sostener (es)
  • Yiddish: אונטערהאַלטן(unterhaltn)

to endure with patience; to be patient

to tolerate, to put up with

  • Arabic: اِحْتَمَلَ(iḥtamala)
  • Bengali: সহ্য করা (śojjho kora), সওয়া (bn) (śoōẇa)
  • Bulgarian: издържам (bg) (izdǎržam), понасям (bg) (ponasjam)
  • Catalan: suportar (ca)
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 忍受 (zh) (rěnshòu), 忍耐 (zh) (rěnnài)
  • Czech: snášet (cs), snést (cs)
  • Danish: tåle, udstå
  • Dutch: verdragen (nl), ondergaan (nl)
  • Finnish: sietää (fi), kestää (fi)
  • French: supporter (fr), tolérer (fr)
  • Galician: apandar, aturar (gl), soportar (gl)
  • German: (only negative) ausstehen (de), aushalten (de), erdulden (de), ertragen (de), (only negative) leiden (de)
    Alemannic German: uushalte
  • Haitian Creole: sipòte
  • Hebrew: סבל (he) (saval)
  • Hindi: सहना (hi) (sahnā)
  • Hungarian: kibír (hu), elvisel (hu), tűr (hu), eltűr (hu)
  • Irish: iompair
  • Italian: sopportare (it)
  • Japanese: 耐え忍ぶ (ja) (たえしのぶ, taeshinobu), 耐える (ja) (たえる, taeru)
  • Korean: 견디다 (ko) (gyeondida)
  • Latin: habeo (la), suffero, tolerō
  • Lithuanian: kęsti (lt)
  • Manchu: ᡩᠣᠰᠣᠮᠪᡳ (dosombi)
  • Maori: koromaki
  • Norwegian: tåle (no), utstå
  • Polish: znosić (pl) impf, znieść (pl) pf, cierpieć (pl) (obsolete)
  • Portuguese: suportar (pt), aguentar (pt)
  • Romanian: suporta (ro), tolera (ro)
  • Russian: выноси́ть (ru) impf (vynosítʹ), вы́нести (ru) pf (výnesti), терпе́ть (ru) impf (terpétʹ), вы́терпеть (ru) pf (výterpetʹ)
  • Scottish Gaelic: fuiling, fulaing
  • Slovak: vydržať, zniesť
  • Slovene: prenašati
  • Spanish: soportar (es), aguantar (es), resistir (es)
  • Swedish: tåla (sv), uthärda (sv)
  • Tocharian B: käl-
  • Turkish: katlanmak (tr)
  • Ukrainian: витри́мувати (vytrýmuvaty), вино́сити (vynósyty), терпі́ти (terpíty)
  • Vietnamese: chịu (vi)

to admit or be capable of; to suffer or sustain without violence, injury, or change

to sustain, or be answerable for

  • Finnish: kantaa (fi)

to afford; to be something to; to supply with

to take effect; to have influence or force

to produce or yield

  • Bulgarian: ра́ждам (bg) impf (ráždam), давам (bg) (davam)
  • Danish: bære (da), frembringe
  • Dutch: dragen (nl)
  • Finnish: tuottaa (fi), kantaa (fi)
  • German: tragen (de), erbringen (de)
  • Hungarian: hoz (hu) (with the objects gyümölcs and termés), terem (hu)
  • Kabyle: arew
  • Kurdish:
    Central Kurdish: بەرگرتن(bergirtin)
  • Latin: creo (la)
  • Norwegian: bære (no) fram (no)
  • Portuguese: criar (pt), gerar (pt)
  • Romanian: da rod
  • Russian: рожда́ть (ru) impf (roždátʹ), роди́ть (ru) pf (rodítʹ)
  • Swedish: bära (sv), frambringa (sv)
  • Ukrainian: наро́джувати (naródžuvaty)
  • Vietnamese: sinh sản (vi)

to be in a specific direction

Translations to be checked

References[edit]

  • bear at OneLook Dictionary Search
  • “bear”, in The Century Dictionary [], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Etymology 3[edit]

Noun[edit]

bear (uncountable)

  1. Alternative spelling of bere (barley).
    • 1800, Tuke, Agric., 119:
      There are several plots of those species of barley called big, which is six-rowed barley; or bear, which is four-rowed, cultivated.
    • 1818, Marshall, Reports Agric., I. 191:
      Bigg or bear, with four grains on the ear, was the kind of barley.
    • 1895, Dixon, Whittingham Vale, 130:
      Two stacks of beare, of xx boules,
    • 1908, Burns Chronicle and Club Directory, page 151:
      [] one wheat stack, one half-stack of corn, and a little hay, all standing in the barnyard; four stacks of bear in the barn, about three bolls of bear lying on the barn floor, two stacks of corn in the barn, []
    • 1802-1816, Papers on Sutherland Estate Management, published in 1972, Scottish History Society, Publications:
      Your Horses are Getting Pease Straw, and looking very well. The 2 Stacks of Bear formerly mentioned as Put in by Mr Bookless is not fully dressed as yet so that I cannot say at present what Quantity they may Produce .

Etymology 4[edit]

Middle English bere (pillowcase), of obscure origin, but compare Old English hlēor-bera (cheek-cover). Possibly cognate to Low German büre, whence German Bühre, which in turn has been compared to French bure.

Noun[edit]

bear (uncountable)

  1. (obsolete) A pillowcase; a fabric case or covering as for a pillow.
    • 1742, William Ellis, The London and Country Brewer […] Fourth Edition, page 36:
      And, according to this, one of my Neighbours made a Bag, like a Pillow-bear, of the ordinary six-penny yard Cloth, and boiled his Hops in it half an Hour; then he took them out, and put in another Bag of the like Quantity of fresh Hops, []
    • 1850, Samuel Tymms, Wills and Inventories from the Registers of the Commissary of Bury St. Edmunds and the Archdeacon of Sudbury, page 116:
      ij payer of schete, ij pelows wt the berys,
    • 1858, Journal of the Statistical Society of London, page 409:
      1641.—14 yards of femble cloth, 12s. ; 8 yards of linen, 6s. 8d. ; 20 yards of harden, 10s. ; 5 linen sheets, 1l. ; 7 linen pillow bears, 8s. ; 2 femble sheets and a line hard sheet, 10s. ; 3 linen towels, 4s. ; 6 lin curtains and a vallance, 12s. ; []
    • 1905, Emily Wilder Leavitt, Palmer Groups: John Melvin of Charlestown and Concord, Mass. and His Descendants ; Gathered and Arranged for Mr. Lowell Mason Palmer of New York, page 24:
      I give to my Grand Child Lidea Carpenter the Coverlid that her mother spun and my pillow bear and a pint Cup & my great Pott that belongs to the Pott and Trammels.
    • 1941, Minnie Hite Moody, Long Meadows, page 71:
      [] a man’s eyes played him false, sitting him before tables proper with damask and pewter, leading him to fall into beds gracious with small and large feather beds for softness and pillowed luxuriously under pretty checked linen pillow bears.

Anagrams[edit]

  • Aber, Bare, Baré, Brea, Reba, bare, brae, rabe

Irish[edit]

Noun[edit]

bear m pl

  1. alternative genitive plural of bior (pointed rod or shaft; spit, spike; point)

Mutation[edit]

Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Eclipsis
bear bhear mbear
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading[edit]

  • Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “bear”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

West Frisian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Frisian bera, from Proto-West Germanic *berō, from Proto-Germanic *berô.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /bɪə̯r/

Noun[edit]

bear c (plural bearen, diminutive bearke)

  1. bear
    Hoewol’t de earste bearen net tige grut wiene, hawwe se harren meitiid wol ta grutte lichemsomfang ûntwikkele.Although the first bears were not very large, they have since developed the be much larger.

Further reading[edit]

  • “bear (II)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

  • Top Definitions
  • Synonyms
  • Quiz
  • Related Content
  • Bear Vs. Bare
  • Examples
  • British
  • Idioms And Phrases

This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.

This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.


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 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 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,

  1. to press or weigh down.
  2. to strive harder; intensify one’s efforts: We can’t hope to finish unless everyone bears down.
  3. Nautical. to approach from windward, as a ship: The cutter was bearing down the channel at twelve knots.

bear down on / upon

  1. to press or weigh down on.
  2. to strive toward.
  3. to approach something rapidly.
  4. Nautical. to approach (another vessel) from windward: The sloop bore down on us, narrowly missing our stern.

bear off,

  1. Nautical. to keep (a boat) from touching or rubbing against a dock, another boat, etc.
  2. Nautical. to steer away.
  3. Backgammon. to remove the stones from the board after they are all home.

bear on / upon to 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.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Which sentence is correct?

Idioms about 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)

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.

Words nearby bear

bean sprouts, beanstalk, Bean Town, bean tree, bean weevil, bear, bearable, bear a grudge, bear animalcule, bearbaiting, bearberry

Other definitions for bear (2 of 3)


noun, plural bears, (especially collectively) bear.

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.

Bear, Astronomy. either of two constellations, Ursa Major or Ursa Minor.

Informal. a player at cards who rarely bluffs.

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

First recorded before 1000; Middle English bere, beare, beor(e), Old English bera; cognate with Frisian bār, Dutch beer, Old High German bero, German Bär; from Proto-Germanic beran- literally, “the brown one”; akin to Old Norse bjǫrn, bersi; compare Lithuanian bė́ras “brown”; cf. bruin

OTHER WORDS FROM bear

bearlike, adjective

Other definitions for bear (3 of 3)


noun

Mount Bear, a mountain in southern Alaska, in the Saint Elias Mountains. 14,831 feet (4,520 meters).

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

BEAR VS. BARE

What’s the difference between bear and bare?

As a verb, bear commonly means to endure something negative (as in I can’t bear to watch) or to carry, hold up, or support (as in The roof can’t bear that much weight), while as a noun it refers to the big furry animal (like grizzly bears and polar bears). Bare can be an adjective that means uncovered (as in bare feet) or empty or without the usual contents (as in bare cabinets or bare walls), or a verb meaning to reveal or open to view (as in bare your secrets).

Bare is most commonly used as an adjective, usually involving something uncovered or empty.

As a verb, bear is often used in the context of holding or carrying things, including in literal, physical ways (as in bear a load or bear weight) and in figurative ones (as in bear a grudge).

To remember the difference in spelling, remember that bears have ears, and they are able to bear a lot of weight because of how big and strong they are, but they are never bare because they are covered in fur.

Here’s an example of bear and bare used correctly in a sentence.

Example: Why does the bear never wear shoes? Because he prefers bare feet.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between bear and bare.

Quiz yourself on bear vs. bare!

Should bear or bare be used in the following sentence?

He chose to _____ his soul to her by showing her his poetry.

Words related to bear

carry, deliver, take, have, hold, allow, experience, create, develop, form, make, produce, provide, convey, ferry, fetch, lug, move, pack, tote

How to use bear in a sentence

  • 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.

  • As wildfires bear down on the West Coast, many have lost their homes or had to evacuate.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • He was born in Scranton and grew up and still resides in Wilmington, a short drive down Interstate 95 from Philadelphia.

  • “If Charleston harbor needs improvement, let the commerce of Charleston bear the burden,” he said.

  • He said,  “I am breaking my heart over this story, and cannot bear to finish it.”

  • Once again he accused the West of being unfair to Russia, bringing back his favorite metaphor, the Russian bear.

  • Maybe our dear bear should sit quietly, not chase piglets and just eat berries and honey.

  • Putin suggested that all the West wanted was to turn the Russian bear into “taxidermy.”

  • Many British Ferns evidence a marked tendency to “sport,” and this is a fact which the beginner should always bear in mind.

  • The bear laughed and joined his companion, and the torpedo thundered away.

  • This may be done by taking the humming tone and bringing to bear upon it a strong pressure of energy.

  • The left heel followed like lightning, and the right paw also slipped, letting the bear again fall heavily on the ice below.

  • The bear watched him narrowly with its wicked little eyes, though it did not see fit to cease its paw-licking.

British Dictionary definitions for bear (1 of 3)


verb bears, bearing, bore or borne (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 born in 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 hand to give assistance

bring to bear to bring into operation or effecthe brought his knowledge to bear on the situation

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)


noun plural bears or bear

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

  1. a speculator who sells in anticipation of falling prices to make a profit on repurchase
  2. (as modifier)a bear market Compare bull 1 (def. 5)

verb bears, bearing or beared

(tr) to lower or attempt to lower the price or prices of (a stock market or a security) by speculative selling

Word Origin for bear

Old English bera; related to Old Norse bjorn, Old High German bero

British Dictionary definitions for bear (3 of 3)

Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with bear


In addition to the idioms beginning with bear

  • bear a grudge
  • bear down
  • beard the lion
  • bear fruit
  • bear in mind
  • bear one’s cross
  • bear out
  • bear the brunt
  • bear up
  • bear with

also see:

  • bring to bear
  • cross as a bear
  • cross to bear
  • grin and bear it
  • loaded for bear

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Bear         
      n  

the  

1    the English name for either Ursa Major (Great Bear) or Ursa Minor (Little Bear)  

2       an informal name for     
  Russia  

ant bear  
      n      another name for     
  aardvark  

bear   [1]  
      vb   , bears, bearing, bore, borne   mainly tr  

1    to support or hold up; sustain  

2    to bring or convey  
to bear gifts     

3    to take, accept, or assume the responsibility of  
to bear an expense     

4    past participle born in passive use except when foll by: by   to give birth to  
to bear children     

5    also intr   to produce by or as if by natural growth  
to bear fruit     

6    to tolerate or endure  
she couldn’t bear him     

7    to admit of; sustain  
his story does not bear scrutiny     

8    to hold in the conscious mind or in one’s feelings  
to bear a grudge, I’ll bear that idea in mind     

9    to show or be marked with  
he still bears the scars     

10    to transmit or spread  
to bear gossip     

11    to render or supply (esp. in the phrase bear witness)  

12    to conduct or manage (oneself, the body, etc.)  
she bore her head high     

13    to have, be, or stand in (relation or comparison)  
his account bears no relation to the facts     

14    intr   to move, be located, or lie in a specified direction  
the way bears east     

15    to have by right; be entitled to (esp. in the phrase bear title)  

16   
bear a hand   to give assistance  

17   
bring to bear   to bring into operation or effect  
he brought his knowledge to bear on the situation         See also     
  bear down  
  
  bear off  
  
  bear on  
  
  bear out  
  
  bear up  
  
  bear with  
  
  born  

     (Old English beran; related to Old Norse bera, Old High German beran to carry, Latin ferre, Greek pherein to bear, Sanskrit bharati he carries)  

bear   [2]  
      n   pl   , bears, bear  

1    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 claws  
   See also     
  black bear  
  
  brown bear  
  
  polar bear  

  
Related adj  
  
  ursine  

2    any of various bearlike animals, such as the koala and the ant bear  

3    a clumsy, churlish, or ill-mannered person  

a    a speculator who sells in anticipation of falling prices to make a profit on repurchase  

b    (as modifier)  
a bear market         Compare     
  bull  
1     
  5  

      vb   , bears, bearing, beared  

6    tr   to lower or attempt to lower the price or prices of (a stock market or a security) by speculative selling  
     (Old English bera; related to Old Norse bjorn, Old High German bero)  

bear-baiting  
      n   (formerly) an entertainment in which dogs attacked and enraged a chained bear  

bear down  
      vb   intr, adv; often foll by: on or upon  

2    to approach in a determined or threatening manner  

3    (of a vessel) to make an approach (to another vessel, obstacle, etc.) from windward  

4    (of a woman during childbirth) to exert a voluntary muscular pressure to assist delivery  

bear garden  
      n  

1    (formerly) a place where bears were exhibited and where bear-baiting took place  

2    a place or scene of tumult and disorder  

bear hug  
      n  

1    a wrestling hold in which the arms are locked tightly round an opponent’s chest and arms  

2    any similar tight embrace  

3      (Commerce)   an approach to the board of one company by another to indicate that an offer is to be made for their shares  

bear off  
      vb   adv     (Nautical)   (of a vessel) to avoid hitting an obstacle, another vessel, etc., by swerving onto a different course  

bear on  
      vb   intr, prep  

1    to be relevant to; relate to  

2    to be burdensome to or afflict  
his misdeeds bore heavily on his conscience     

bear out  
      vb   tr, adv   to show to be true or truthful; confirm  
the witness will bear me out     

bear raid  
      n   an attempt to force down the price of a security or commodity by sustained selling  

bear’s-breech   , bear’s-breeches  
      n   a widely cultivated S European acanthus plant, Acanthus mollis, having whitish purple-veined flowers  

bear’s-ear  
      n      another name for     
  auricula  
  
  1  

bear’s-foot  
      n   either of two Eurasian hellebore plants, Helleborus foetidus or H. viridis, having leaves shaped like the foot and claws of a bear  

bear up  
      vb   intr, adv   to endure cheerfully  

bear with  
      vb   intr, prep   to be patient with  
bear with me while I tell you my story     

black bear  
      n  

1   
American black bear   a bear, Euarctos (or Ursus) americanus, inhabiting forests of North America. It is smaller and less ferocious than the brown bear  

2   
Asiatic black bear   a bear, Selenarctos thibetanus, of central and E Asia, whose coat is black with a pale V-shaped mark on the chest  

brown bear  
      n   a large ferocious brownish bear, Ursus arctos, inhabiting temperate forests of North America, Europe, and Asia  
   See also     
  grizzly bear  
  
  Kodiak bear  

cinnamon bear  
      n   a reddish-brown variety of the American black bear  
   See     
  black bear  
  
  1  

Great Bear  
      n      the. the English name for     
  Ursa Major  

Great Bear Lake  
      n   a lake in NW Canada, in the Northwest Territories: the largest freshwater lake entirely in Canada; drained by the Great Bear River, which flows to the Mackenzie River. Area: 31792 sq. km (12275 sq. miles)  

grizzly bear  
      n   a variety of the brown bear, Ursus arctos horribilis, formerly widespread in W North America; its brown fur has cream or white hair tips on the back, giving a grizzled appearance,   (Often shortened to)
  
grizzly  

honey bear  
      n      another name for     
  kinkajou  
  
  1  
  
  sun bear  

Kodiak bear   , Kodiak  
      n   a large variety of the brown bear, Ursus arctos, inhabiting the west coast of Alaska and neighbouring islands, esp. Kodiak  

Little Bear  
      n      the. the English name for     
  Ursa Minor  

native bear  
      n      an Austral. name for     
  koala  

polar bear  
      n   a white carnivorous bear, Thalarctos maritimus, of coastal regions of the North Pole  

sloth bear  
      n   a bear, Melursus ursinus, of forests of S India and Sri Lanka, having a shaggy coat and an elongated snout specialized for feeding on termites  

sun bear  
      n   a small bear, Helarctos malayanus, of tropical forests in S and SE Asia, having a black coat and a yellowish snout and feeding mostly on honey and insects,   (Also called)
  
honey bear  

teddy bear  
      n   a stuffed toy bear made from soft or fluffy material,   (Often shortened to)
  
teddy  
     (C20: from Teddy, from Theodore, after Theodore Roosevelt, who was well known as a hunter of bears)  

water bear  
      n      another name for a     
  tardigrade  

white bear  
      n      another name for     
  polar bear  

woolly bear  
      n   the caterpillar of any of various tiger moths, esp. Arctia caja of Europe and Isia isabella of North America, having a dense covering of soft hairs  

bear

to give birth to: bear a child; to suffer; endure; undergo: bear the blame; to bring: bear gifts; to render; afford; give: bear witness, bear testimony; an animal: a polar bear

Not to be confused with:

bare – unadorned, plain: Tell me the bare facts.; naked; without covering or clothing: bare midriff; scarcely sufficient: the bare necessities

Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

bear 1

 (bâr)

v. bore (bôr), borne (bôrn) or born (bôrn), bear·ing, bears

v.tr.

1.

a. To carry (something) on one’s person from one place to another: bore the suitcase to the station.

b. To move from one place to another while containing or supporting (something); convey or transport: a train bearing grain. See Synonyms at carry.

c. To cause to move by or with steady pressure; push: a boat borne along by the current.

d. To carry or hold in the mind over time; harbor: bear a grudge; bear ill will.

e. To have as a visible characteristic or attribute: a letter bearing his name.

2. To conduct (oneself) in a specified way: She bore herself with dignity.

3.

a. To hold up; support: This wall bears much of the weight of the roof.

b. To be accountable for; assume: bearing heavy responsibilities.

c. To have a tolerance for; endure: couldn’t bear his lying; can’t bear to see them leave. See Synonyms at endure.

d. To have grounds for; call for; warrant: This case bears investigation.

4.

a. To give birth to: bore six children.

b. To produce; yield: plants bearing fruit. See Synonyms at produce.

5. To offer; render: I will bear witness to the deed.

v.intr.

1. To yield fruit; produce: peach trees that bear every summer.

2. To have relevance or influence; apply: They studied how the relativity theory bears on the history of science.

3. To endure something with tolerance or patience: Bear with me while I explain what happened.

4.

a. To extend or proceed in a specified direction: The road bears to the right at the bottom of the hill.

b. To be directed or aimed in a certain direction or at a target: The guns were brought to bear upon the approaching fleet.

Phrasal Verbs:

bear down

1. To exert muscular pressure downward, as in giving birth to a baby.

2. To advance in a threatening manner: The ship bore down on our canoe.

3. To apply maximum effort and concentration: If you really bear down, you will finish the task.

bear out

To prove to be right or justified; confirm: The test results bear out our claims.

bear up

To withstand stress, difficulty, or attrition: The patient bore up well during the long illness.

Idioms:

bear a relation/relationship to

To have an association with or relevance to: That remark bears no relation to the matter at hand.

bear a resemblance/liking/similarity to

To be similar to; appear or function like.

bear down on

1. To move rapidly toward: The ship bore down on the abandoned vessel.

2. To affect in a harmful or adverse way: Financial pressures are bearing down on them.

bear fruit

To come to a satisfactory conclusion or to fruition.

bear in mind

To hold in one’s mind; remember: Bear in mind that bridges freeze before roads.


Usage Note: Thanks to the vagaries of English spelling, bear has two past participles: born and borne. Traditionally, born is used only in passive constructions referring to birth: I was born in Chicago. For all other uses, including active constructions referring to birth, borne is the standard form: She has borne both her children at home. I have borne his insolence with the patience of a saint.


bear 2

 (bâr)

n.

1.

a. Any of various usually omnivorous mammals of the family Ursidae that have a shaggy coat and a short tail and walk with the entire lower surface of the foot touching the ground.

b. Any of various other animals, such as the koala, that resemble a true bear.

2. A large, clumsy, or ill-mannered person.

3.

a. One, such as an investor, that sells securities or commodities in expectation of falling prices.

b. A pessimist, especially regarding business conditions.

4. Slang Something that is difficult or unpleasant: The final exam was a bear.

5. Slang A highway patrol officer.

6. Slang A hairy, stocky gay man.

adj.

Characterized by falling prices: a bear market.


[Middle English bere, from Old English bera; see bher- in Indo-European roots. Sense 3, probably from the proverb to sell the bear’s skin before catching the bear.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

bear

(bɛə)

vb (mainly tr) , bears, bearing, bore or borne

1. to support or hold up; sustain

2. to bring or convey: to bear gifts.

3. to take, accept, or assume the responsibility of: to bear an expense.

4. (past participle born; in passive use except when foll by by) to give birth to: to bear children.

5. (also intr) to produce by or as if by natural growth: to bear fruit.

6. to tolerate or endure: she couldn’t bear him.

7. to admit of; sustain: his story does not bear scrutiny.

8. to hold in the conscious mind or in one’s feelings: to bear a grudge; I’ll bear that idea in mind.

9. to show or be marked with: he still bears the scars.

10. to transmit or spread: to bear gossip.

11. to render or supply (esp in the phrase bear witness)

12. to conduct or manage (oneself, the body, etc): she bore her head high.

13. to have, be, or stand in (relation or comparison): his account bears no relation to the facts.

14. (Navigation) (intr) to move, be located, or lie in a specified direction: the way bears east.

15. to have by right; be entitled to (esp in the phrase bear title)

16. bear a hand to give assistance

17. bring to bear to bring into operation or effect: he brought his knowledge to bear on the situation.

[Old English beran; related to Old Norse bera, Old High German beran to carry, Latin ferre, Greek pherein to bear, Sanskrit bharati he carries]


bear

(bɛə)

n, pl bears or bear

1. (Animals) 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 claws. See also black bear, brown bear, polar bear

2. (Animals) any of various bearlike animals, such as the koala and the ant bear

3. a clumsy, churlish, or ill-mannered person

4. a teddy bear

5. (Stock Exchange) stock exchange

a. a speculator who sells in anticipation of falling prices to make a profit on repurchase

b. (as modifier): a bear market. Compare bull15

vb, bears, bearing or beared

(Banking & Finance) (tr) to lower or attempt to lower the price or prices of (a stock market or a security) by speculative selling

[Old English bera; related to Old Norse bjorn, Old High German bero]


Bear

(bɛə)

n

2. (Placename) an informal name for Russia

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

bear1

(bɛər)

v. bore, borne born, bear•ing. v.t.

1. to hold up or support: The columns bear the weight of the roof.

2. to give birth to: to bear a child.

3. to produce by natural growth: a tree that bears fruit.

4. to sustain or be capable of: This claim doesn’t bear close examination. The view bears comparison with the loveliest sights.

5. to drive or push: The crowd was borne back by the police.

6. to carry or conduct (oneself, one’s body, etc.): to bear oneself bravely.

7. to suffer; endure or tolerate: He bore the blame. I can’t bear your nagging.

8. to warrant or be worthy of: It doesn’t bear repeating.

9. to carry; bring: to bear gifts.

10. to carry in the mind or heart: to bear malice.

11. to transmit or spread (gossip, tales, etc.).

12. to render; afford; give: to bear testimony.

13. to have and be entitled to: to bear title.

14. to exhibit; show: to bear a resemblance.

15. to accept or have as an obligation: to bear the cost.

16. to possess as a quality or characteristic; have in or on: to bear traces; to bear an inscription.

v.i.

17. to tend in a course or direction; move; go: to bear left.

18. to be situated: The lighthouse bears due north.

19. to bring forth young, fruit, etc.

20. bear down,

a. to press or weigh down.

b. to strive harder.

21. bear down on,

a. to press or weigh down on.

b. to strive toward.

c. to move toward rapidly and threateningly.

22. bear on or upon, to be relevant to; affect.

23. bear out, to substantiate; confirm.

24. bear up, to face hardship bravely; endure.

25. bear with, to be patient with.

Idioms:

bring to bear , to force to have an impact: to bring pressure to bear on union members to end a strike.

[before 900; Middle English beren, Old English beran, c. Old High German beran, Old Norse bera, Gothic bairan to carry, Skt bhárati (one) carries, Latin ferre, Greek phérein to carry]

syn: bear, stand, endure refer to supporting the burden of something distressing, irksome, or painful. bear is the general word and suggests merely being able to put up with something: She is bearing the disappointment quite well. stand is an informal equivalent, but with an implication of stout spirit: I couldn’t stand the pain. endure implies continued resistance and patience over a long period of time: to endure torture.

usage: Since the latter part of the 18th century, a distinction has been made between born and borne as past participles of the verb bear. borne is the past participle in all senses that do not refer to physical birth: The wheat fields have borne abundantly. 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: She 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 in passive constructions and in adjective phrases: My friend was born in Ohio. No children have been born at the South Pole. Abraham Lincoln, born in Kentucky, grew up in Illinois.

bear2

(bɛər)

n., pl. bears, (esp. collectively) bear, n.

1. any large, stocky, omnivorous mammal of the carnivore family Ursidae, with thick, coarse fur, a very short tail, and a plantigrade gait, inhabiting the Northern Hemisphere and N South America.

2. a gruff, clumsy, or rude person.

3. a person who believes that stock prices will decline (opposed to bull).

4. (cap.) either of two constellations, Ursa Major or Ursa Minor.

adj.

5. marked by declining prices, esp. of stocks: a bear market.

[before 1000; Middle English be(a)re, beor(e), Old English bera, c. Old High German bero; Germanic *beran- literally, the brown one]

bear′like`, adj.

Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

bear

(bâr)

1. Any of various large mammals having a shaggy coat, a rounded head, and a short tail. Bears eat plants and other animals, especially insects and small rodents. Bears walk with the entire lower surface of their foot touching the ground.

2. Any of various other animals, such as the koala, that resemble a true bear.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

bear

1. ‘bear’

The other forms of bear are bears, bore, borne. However, the past form and -ed participle are rarely used.

If someone bears pain or a difficult situation, they accept it in a brave way.

Boys are encouraged to be tough and bear pain, to prove they’re a man.

2. ‘endure’

Endure is used in a similar way.

Many people have to endure pain without specialist help.

3. ‘can’t bear’

Bear is often used in negative sentences. If you can’t bear something or someone, you dislike them very much.

I can’t bear him!

If you can’t bear to do something, you cannot do it because it makes you so unhappy.

She couldn’t bear to talk about it.

4. ‘can’t stand’

If you can’t stand something or someone, you dislike them very much.

He kept on asking questions and I couldn’t stand it any longer.

I can’t stand people who lie.

Be Careful!
Don’t say that you ‘can’t stand to do something.

5. ‘tolerate’ and ‘put up with’

If you tolerate or put up with something, you accept it, although you don’t like it or approve of it. Tolerate is more formal than put up with.

The school does not tolerate bad behaviour.

The local people have to put up with a lot of tourists.


bear

bare

These words are both pronounced eə/.

1. ‘bear’

Bear can be a noun or a verb.

A bear is a large, strong wild animal with thick fur and sharp claws.

The bear stood on its hind legs.

If you bear a difficult situation, you accept it and are able to deal with it.

This disaster was more than some of them could bear.

2. ‘bare’

Bare is usually an adjective. Something that is bare has no covering.

The grass was warm under her bare feet.

The walls were bare.


suffer

put up withstandbear

1. ‘suffer’

You can say that someone suffers pain or an unpleasant experience.

He suffered a lot of discomfort.

Young suffered imprisonment and intimidation.

2. ‘put up with’

You do not use ‘suffer’ to say that someone tolerates an unpleasant person. You say that they put up with the person.

The local people have to put up with gaping tourists.

3. ‘stand’ and ‘bear’

If you do not like someone at all, you do not say that you ‘can’t suffer’ them. You say that you can’t stand them or can’t bear them.

She said she couldn’t stand him.

I can’t bear kids.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

bear

(in most senses)

Past participle: borne
Gerund: bearing

Imperative
bear
bear
Present
I bear
you bear
he/she/it bears
we bear
you bear
they bear
Preterite
I bore
you bore
he/she/it bore
we bore
you bore
they bore
Present Continuous
I am bearing
you are bearing
he/she/it is bearing
we are bearing
you are bearing
they are bearing
Present Perfect
I have borne
you have borne
he/she/it has borne
we have borne
you have borne
they have borne
Past Continuous
I was bearing
you were bearing
he/she/it was bearing
we were bearing
you were bearing
they were bearing
Past Perfect
I had borne
you had borne
he/she/it had borne
we had borne
you had borne
they had borne
Future
I will bear
you will bear
he/she/it will bear
we will bear
you will bear
they will bear
Future Perfect
I will have borne
you will have borne
he/she/it will have borne
we will have borne
you will have borne
they will have borne
Future Continuous
I will be bearing
you will be bearing
he/she/it will be bearing
we will be bearing
you will be bearing
they will be bearing
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been bearing
you have been bearing
he/she/it has been bearing
we have been bearing
you have been bearing
they have been bearing
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been bearing
you will have been bearing
he/she/it will have been bearing
we will have been bearing
you will have been bearing
they will have been bearing
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been bearing
you had been bearing
he/she/it had been bearing
we had been bearing
you had been bearing
they had been bearing
Conditional
I would bear
you would bear
he/she/it would bear
we would bear
you would bear
they would bear
Past Conditional
I would have borne
you would have borne
he/she/it would have borne
we would have borne
you would have borne
they would have borne

bear

(give birth to)

Past participle: borne/born
Gerund: bearing

Imperative
bear
bear
Present
I bear
you bear
he/she/it bears
we bear
you bear
they bear
Preterite
I bore
you bore
he/she/it bore
we bore
you bore
they bore
Present Continuous
I am bearing
you are bearing
he/she/it is bearing
we are bearing
you are bearing
they are bearing
Present Perfect
I have borne
you have borne
he/she/it has borne
we have borne
you have borne
they have borne
Past Continuous
I was bearing
you were bearing
he/she/it was bearing
we were bearing
you were bearing
they were bearing
Past Perfect
I had borne
you had borne
he/she/it had borne
we had borne
you had borne
they had borne
Future
I will bear
you will bear
he/she/it will bear
we will bear
you will bear
they will bear
Future Perfect
I will have borne
you will have borne
he/she/it will have borne
we will have borne
you will have borne
they will have borne
Future Continuous
I will be bearing
you will be bearing
he/she/it will be bearing
we will be bearing
you will be bearing
they will be bearing
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been bearing
you have been bearing
he/she/it has been bearing
we have been bearing
you have been bearing
they have been bearing
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been bearing
you will have been bearing
he/she/it will have been bearing
we will have been bearing
you will have been bearing
they will have been bearing
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been bearing
you had been bearing
he/she/it had been bearing
we had been bearing
you had been bearing
they had been bearing
Conditional
I would bear
you would bear
he/she/it would bear
we would bear
you would bear
they would bear
Past Conditional
I would have borne
you would have borne
he/she/it would have borne
we would have borne
you would have borne
they would have borne

bear

(lower the price of shares etc.)

Past participle: beared
Gerund: bearing

Imperative
bear
bear
Present
I bear
you bear
he/she/it bears
we bear
you bear
they bear
Preterite
I beared
you beared
he/she/it beared
we beared
you beared
they beared
Present Continuous
I am bearing
you are bearing
he/she/it is bearing
we are bearing
you are bearing
they are bearing
Present Perfect
I have beared
you have beared
he/she/it has beared
we have beared
you have beared
they have beared
Past Continuous
I was bearing
you were bearing
he/she/it was bearing
we were bearing
you were bearing
they were bearing
Past Perfect
I had beared
you had beared
he/she/it had beared
we had beared
you had beared
they had beared
Future
I will bear
you will bear
he/she/it will bear
we will bear
you will bear
they will bear
Future Perfect
I will have beared
you will have beared
he/she/it will have beared
we will have beared
you will have beared
they will have beared
Future Continuous
I will be bearing
you will be bearing
he/she/it will be bearing
we will be bearing
you will be bearing
they will be bearing
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been bearing
you have been bearing
he/she/it has been bearing
we have been bearing
you have been bearing
they have been bearing
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been bearing
you will have been bearing
he/she/it will have been bearing
we will have been bearing
you will have been bearing
they will have been bearing
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been bearing
you had been bearing
he/she/it had been bearing
we had been bearing
you had been bearing
they had been bearing
Conditional
I would bear
you would bear
he/she/it would bear
we would bear
you would bear
they would bear
Past Conditional
I would have beared
you would have beared
he/she/it would have beared
we would have beared
you would have beared
they would have beared

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

bear

A speculator on a stock exchange who buys expecting prices to decrease. Compare bull.

Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun 1. bear - massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong clawsbear — massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws

bear cub — a young bear

carnivore — a terrestrial or aquatic flesh-eating mammal; «terrestrial carnivores have four or five clawed digits on each limb»

family Ursidae, Ursidae — bears and extinct related forms

brown bear, Ursus arctos, bruin — large ferocious bear of Eurasia

bruin — a conventional name for a bear used in tales following usage in the old epic `Reynard the Fox’

American black bear, Euarctos americanus, Ursus americanus, black bear — brown to black North American bear; smaller and less ferocious than the brown bear

Asiatic black bear, black bear, Selenarctos thibetanus, Ursus thibetanus — bear with a black coat living in central and eastern Asia

ice bear, polar bear, Thalarctos maritimus, Ursus Maritimus — white bear of Arctic regions

Melursus ursinus, sloth bear, Ursus ursinus — common coarse-haired long-snouted bear of south-central Asia

2. bear - an investor with a pessimistic market outlookbear — an investor with a pessimistic market outlook; an investor who expects prices to fall and so sells now in order to buy later at a lower price

investor — someone who commits capital in order to gain financial returns

bull — an investor with an optimistic market outlook; an investor who expects prices to rise and so buys now for resale later

Verb 1. bear — have; «bear a resemblance»; «bear a signature»

carry — have on the surface or on the skin; «carry scars»

feature, have — have as a feature; «This restaurant features the most famous chefs in France»

2. bear - cause to be bornbear — cause to be born; «My wife had twins yesterday!»

birth, give birth, deliver, have

twin — give birth to twins

drop — give birth; used for animals; «The cow dropped her calf this morning»

foal — give birth to a foal; «the mare foaled»

cub — give birth to cubs; «bears cub every year»

kitten — have kittens; «our cat kittened again this year»

lamb — give birth to a lamb; «the ewe lambed»

litter — give birth to a litter of animals

pup, whelp — birth; «the dog whelped»

farrow, pig — give birth; «sows farrow»

fawn — have fawns; «deer fawn»

have young, calve — birth; «the whales calve at this time of year»

have a bun in the oven, gestate, expect, bear, carry — be pregnant with; «She is bearing his child»; «The are expecting another child in January»; «I am carrying his child»

produce, bring forth — bring forth or yield; «The tree would not produce fruit»

3. bear - put up with something or somebody unpleasantbear — put up with something or somebody unpleasant; «I cannot bear his constant criticism»; «The new secretary had to endure a lot of unprofessional remarks»; «he learned to tolerate the heat»; «She stuck out two years in a miserable marriage»

brook, endure, tolerate, abide, stomach, stick out, digest, put up, suffer, stand, support

live with, swallow, accept — tolerate or accommodate oneself to; «I shall have to accept these unpleasant working conditions»; «I swallowed the insult»; «She has learned to live with her husband’s little idiosyncrasies»

hold still for, stand for — tolerate or bear; «I won’t stand for this kind of behavior!»

bear up — endure cheerfully; «She bore up under the enormous strain»

take lying down — suffer without protest; suffer or endure passively; «I won’t take this insult lying down»

take a joke — listen to a joke at one’s own expense; «Can’t you take a joke?»

sit out — endure to the end

pay — bear (a cost or penalty), in recompense for some action; «You’ll pay for this!»; «She had to pay the penalty for speaking out rashly»; «You’ll pay for this opinion later»

countenance, permit, allow, let — consent to, give permission; «She permitted her son to visit her estranged husband»; «I won’t let the police search her basement»; «I cannot allow you to see your exam»

suffer — experience (emotional) pain; «Every time her husband gets drunk, she suffers»

4. bear - move while holding up or supportingbear — move while holding up or supporting; «Bear gifts»; «bear a heavy load»; «bear news»; «bearing orders»

carry, transport — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one’s hands or on one’s body; «You must carry your camping gear»; «carry the suitcases to the car»; «This train is carrying nuclear waste»; «These pipes carry waste water into the river»

frogmarch — carry someone against his will upside down such that each limb is held by one person

carry, bear, hold — support or hold in a certain manner; «She holds her head high»; «He carried himself upright»

5. bear - bring forth, "The apple tree bore delicious apples this year"bear — bring forth, «The apple tree bore delicious apples this year»; «The unidentified plant bore gorgeous flowers»

turn out

spin off — produce as a consequence of something larger

create, make — make or cause to be or to become; «make a mess in one’s office»; «create a furor»

seed — bear seeds

crop — yield crops; «This land crops well»

overbear — bear too much

fruit — bear fruit; «the trees fruited early this year»

bear out, underpin, corroborate, support — support with evidence or authority or make more certain or confirm; «The stories and claims were born out by the evidence»

6. bear — take on as one’s own the expenses or debts of another person; «I’ll accept the charges»; «She agreed to bear the responsibility»

assume, take over, accept

take — take into one’s possession; «We are taking an orphan from Romania»; «I’ll take three salmon steaks»

carry-the can, face the music — accept the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions

7. bear - contain or holdbear — contain or hold; have within; «The jar carries wine»; «The canteen holds fresh water»; «This can contains water»

contain, carry, hold

include — have as a part, be made up out of; «The list includes the names of many famous writers»

contain, hold, take — be capable of holding or containing; «This box won’t take all the items»; «The flask holds one gallon»

retain — hold back within; «This soil retains water»; «I retain this drug for a long time»; «the dam retains the water»

hold in, enclose, confine — close in; darkness enclosed him»

8. bear - bring inbear — bring in; «interest-bearing accounts»; «How much does this savings certificate pay annually?»

pay, yield

investment funds, investment — money that is invested with an expectation of profit

earn, realise, pull in, bring in, realize, gain, make, take in, clear — earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages; «How much do you make a month in your new job?»; «She earns a lot in her new job»; «this merger brought in lots of money»; «He clears $5,000 each month»

net, clear — yield as a net profit; «This sale netted me $1 million»

pay off — yield a profit or result; «His efforts finally paid off»

9. bear - have on one's personbear — have on one’s person; «He wore a red ribbon»; «bear a scar»

wear

feature, have — have as a feature; «This restaurant features the most famous chefs in France»

10. bear - behave in a certain mannerbear — behave in a certain manner; «She carried herself well»; «he bore himself with dignity»; «They conducted themselves well during these difficult times»

deport, acquit, behave, comport, conduct, carry

carry, bear, hold — support or hold in a certain manner; «She holds her head high»; «He carried himself upright»

fluster — be flustered; behave in a confused manner

act, move — perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); «think before you act»; «We must move quickly»; «The governor should act on the new energy bill»; «The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel»

put forward, assert — insist on having one’s opinions and rights recognized; «Women should assert themselves more!»

deal — behave in a certain way towards others; «He deals fairly with his employees»

walk around — behave in a certain manner or have certain properties; «He walks around with his nose in the air»; «She walks around with this strange boyfriend»

posture, pose — behave affectedly or unnaturally in order to impress others; «Don’t pay any attention to him—he is always posing to impress his peers!»; «She postured and made a total fool of herself»

11. bear — have rightfully; of rights, titles, and offices; «She bears the title of Duchess»; «He held the governorship for almost a decade»

hold

have, have got, hold — have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense; «She has $1,000 in the bank»; «He has got two beautiful daughters»; «She holds a Master’s degree from Harvard»

12. bear - support or hold in a certain mannerbear — support or hold in a certain manner; «She holds her head high»; «He carried himself upright»

carry, hold

sling — hold or carry in a sling; «he cannot button his shirt with his slinged arm»

stoop — carry oneself, often habitually, with head, shoulders, and upper back bent forward; «The old man was stooping but he could walk around without a cane»

piggyback — support on the back and shoulders; «He piggybacked her child so she could see the show»

balance, poise — hold or carry in equilibrium

deport, comport, acquit, behave, conduct, bear, carry — behave in a certain manner; «She carried herself well»; «he bore himself with dignity»; «They conducted themselves well during these difficult times»

bear — move while holding up or supporting; «Bear gifts»; «bear a heavy load»; «bear news»; «bearing orders»

13. bear - be pregnant withbear — be pregnant with; «She is bearing his child»; «The are expecting another child in January»; «I am carrying his child»

have a bun in the oven, gestate, expect, carry

birth, give birth, bear, deliver, have — cause to be born; «My wife had twins yesterday!»

expect — look forward to the birth of a child; «She is expecting in March»

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

bear

1

verb

1. carry, take, move, bring, lift, transfer, conduct, transport, haul, transmit, convey, relay, tote (informal), hump (Brit. slang), lug a surveyor and his assistant bearing a torch
carry drop, shed, put down

2. hold, carry, pack the constitutional right to bear arms

3. support, carry, shoulder, sustain, endure, hold up, keep up, uphold, withstand, bear up under The ice was not thick enough to bear the weight of marching men.
support drop, give up, abandon, desert, relinquish, discontinue

5. suffer, feel, experience, go through, sustain, stomach, endure, undergo, admit, brook, hack (slang), abide, put up with (informal) He bore his sufferings manfully.

6. bring yourself to, allow, accept, permit, endure, tolerate, hack (informal), abide, be doing with (informal), countenance He can’t bear to talk about it, even to me.

9. earn, make, get, receive, gain, net, collect, realize, obtain, yield, bring in, gross, reap, procure The eight-year bond will bear annual interest of 10.5%.

12. conduct, move, carry, deport There was elegance and simple dignity in the way he bore himself.

bear on something be relevant to, involve, concern, affect, regard, refer to, be part of, relate to, belong to, apply to, be appropriate, bear on, befit, pertain to, touch upon, appertain to The remaining 32 examples do not bear on our problem.

bear something out support, prove, confirm, justify, endorse, uphold, vindicate, validate, substantiate, corroborate, legitimize His photographs do not quite bear this out.

bear up cope, suffer, manage, survive, carry on, persevere, bear the brunt, grin and bear it (informal), take it on the chin (informal), hold your own, keep your chin up, go through the mill She felt that she would be unable to bear up under the pain.

bear with someone be patient with, suffer, wait for, hold on (informal), stand by, tolerate, put up with (informal), make allowances for, hang fire If you’ll bear with me, Frank, I can explain everything.


bear

2 noun

Related words
adjective ursine
young cub
collective noun sloth

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

bear

verb

2. To sustain the weight of:

3. To hold on one’s person:

4. To move while supporting:

5. To cause to come along with oneself:

6. To hold and turn over in the mind:

7. To be endowed with as a visible characteristic or form:

8. To conduct oneself in a specified way:

9. To put up with:

abide, accept, brook, endure, go, stand (for), stomach, suffer, support, sustain, swallow, take, tolerate, withstand.

Idioms: take it, take it lying down.

10. To give birth to:

Chiefly Regional: birth.

Idiom: be brought abed of.

11. To bring forth (a product):

13. To proceed in a specified direction:

phrasal verb
bear on or upon
phrasal verb
bear out

1. To assure the certainty or validity of:

attest, authenticate, back (up), confirm, corroborate, evidence, justify, substantiate, testify (to), validate, verify, warrant.

2. To establish as true or genuine:

authenticate, confirm, corroborate, demonstrate, endorse, establish, evidence, prove, show, substantiate, validate, verify.

phrasal verb
bear up

To withstand stress or difficulty:

The American Heritage® Roget’s Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

احتملتُنجبدبدُبدُبّ

мечкамечокносяраждам

medvědnéstporoditroditsnést

bjørnbærefødesvingetåle

urso

karu

خرس

kantaakarhupähkinäsietääsynnyttää

להולידלהכריזלהעלות נושאלהציגלסחוב

medvjednositiroditi

medveszül

beruang

björnfæîa, bera, alaòolaòola, afberasveigja, liggja, stefna

クマ支える耐え忍ぶ

받치다

ursaursus

lācisnestnogrieztiespanestpiedzimt

urs

medveď

medvednositivzdržatimedvedka

bärabjörnföda

ทนหมี

нестиносити

chịu đựngcon gấu

bear

1 [bɛəʳ]

A. N

3. (Fin) (= pessimistic trader) → bajista mf


bear

2 [bɛəʳ] (bore (pt) (borne (pp)))

bear down VI + ADV

1. (= come closer) to bear down on sth/sbecharse encima a algo/algn
the ferry was bearing down on usel ferry se nos echaba encima

3. (= push) (in childbirth) → empujar

bear up VI + ADV how are you bearing up?¿qué tal ese ánimo?
she’s bearing up well under the circumstanceslo está llevando bien dadas las circunstancias
«how are you?» — «bearing up!»-¿qué tal? -¡voy aguantando!
bear up! it’s nearly over¡ánimo, que ya queda poco!
the children bore up well during the visit to the museumlos niños aguantaron bien la vista al museo

Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

bear

[ˈbɛər]

n

(= animal) → ours m

(STOCK EXCHANGE)baissier m bear market

vb [bore] [ˈbɔːr] (pt) [borne] [ˈbɔːrn] (pp)

vt

(= endure) → supporter
I can’t bear him → Je ne peux pas le supporter., Je ne peux pas le souffrir.
I can’t bear it!
BUT C’est insupportable!.
I can’t bear to do … → je ne peux pas faire …
How can you bear to talk to him? → Comment est-ce que tu peux lui parler?

to bear no resemblance to sth → n’avoir aucun rapport avec qch
to bear little relation to sth → n’avoir que peu de rapport avec qch, avoir peu de rapport avec qch

(= show) [+ traces] → porter
The room bore all the signs of a violent struggle
BUT L’état de la pièce indiquait qu’une violente bagarre y avait eu lieu.
The houses bear the marks of bullet holes
BUT Les maisons gardent la trace d’impacts de balles.

to bear the cost of sth (= pay for) → prendre qch à sa charge

(= feel towards) to bear sb ill will → en vouloir à qn

vi

to bring pressure to bear on sb → faire pression sur qn
to bring sth to bear on sth (= use to deal with sth) → faire peser qch sur qch

bear down

vi

(= rush towards) to bear down on sb/sth → se ruer sur qn/qch

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

bear

:

bear-baiting

nBärenhatz f

bear cub

nBärenjunge(s) nt


bear

:


bear

:

bear paw

n (US inf: Mot) → Park-, Radkralle f

bearpit

nBärengehege nt


bear

1 pret <bore>, ptp <borne>

vi

(= move) to bear right/left/northsich rechts/links/nach Norden halten; to bear away or off (Naut) → abdrehen

(fruit tree etc)tragen


bear

2

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

bear

1 [bɛəʳ] (bore (vb: pt) (borne (pp)))

bear with vi + prep (sb’s moods, temper) → sopportare (con pazienza)
bear with me a minute → solo un attimo, prego
if you’ll bear with me … → se ha la cortesia di aspettare (un attimo) …


bear

2 [bɛəʳ] norso/a (Stock Exchange) → ribassista m/f
the Great Bear (Astron) → l’Orsa Maggiore
to be like a bear with a sore head (hum) → avere la luna di traverso

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

bear1

(beə) past tense bore (boː) : past participle borne (boːn) verb

1. (usually with cannot, ~could not etc) to put up with or endure. I couldn’t bear it if he left.

2. to be able to support. Will the table bear my weight?

3. (past participle in passive born (boːn) ) to produce (children). She has borne (him) several children; She was born on July 7.

4. to carry. He was borne shoulder-high after his victory.

5. to have. The cheque bore his signature.

6. to turn or fork. The road bears left here.

ˈbearable adjective

able to be endured.

ˈbearer noun

a person or thing that bears. the bearer of bad news.

ˈbearing noun

1. manner, way of standing etc. a military bearing.

2. (usually in plural. sometimes short for ˌball-ˈbearings) a part of a machine that has another part moving in or on it.

ˈbearings noun plural

location, place on a map etc; The island’s bearings are 10 North, 24 West.

bear down on

1. to approach quickly and often threateningly. The angry teacher bore down on the child.

2. to exert pressure on. The weight is bearing down on my chest.

bear fruit

to produce fruit.

bear out

to support or confirm. This bears out what you said.

bear up

to keep up courage, strength etc (under strain). She’s bearing up well after her shock.

bear with

to be patient with (someone). Bear with me for a minute, and you’ll see what I mean.

find/get one’s bearings

to find one’s position with reference to eg a known landmark. If we can find this hill, I’ll be able to get my bearings.

lose one’s bearings

to become uncertain of one’s position. He’s confused me so much that I’ve lost my bearings completely.


bear2

(beə) noun

a large heavy animal with thick fur and hooked claws.

ˈbearskin noun, adjective

(of) the skin of a bear.

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

bear

دُبّ, يَحْتَمِلُ medvěd, nést bære, bjørn Bär, ertragen ανέχομαι, αρκούδα oso, portar, soportar kantaa, karhu ours, supporter medvjed, nositi orso, portare クマ, 支える, 받치다 beer, dragen bære, bjørn niedźwiedź, przenieść carregar, urso медведь, нести bära, björn ทน, หมี ayı, taşımak chịu đựng, con gấu, 负担

Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

bear

vi. soportar; aguantar;

___ downpujar, empujar hacia afuera con fuerza;

___ a childdar a luz, estar de parto.

English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

bear

vt (pret bore; pp borne) tolerar, aguantar, soportar; (to give birth to) dar a luz; child-bearing age edad fértil; to — down pujar; Bear down as if you were having a bowel movement.. Puje como si estuviera defecando (haciendo popó); to — weight soportar peso; You shouldn’t bear weight with your left leg for two weeks..No debe soportar peso con su pierna izquierda durante dos semanas.

English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

  • Defenition of the word bear

    • A large beast of prey of the family Ursidae, related to the dog and raccoon, having shaggy hair, a very small tail, and flat feet.
    • To move while holding up from the ground by supporting its weight.
    • To have a tolerance for.
    • Market characterized by falling prices.
    • To contain or hold; have within.
    • To allow (something that one dislikes or disagrees with) to continue to exist or occur without interference; accept or undergo, often unwillingly.
    • To have a right, title, or office.
    • To take upon oneself a charge or a compromise.
    • To release an offspring from one’s own body; to cause to be born.
    • To have (e.g. a resemblance, a signature).
    • To take on as one’s own the expenses or debts of another person.
    • To bring in (e.g. interests, money, etc.).
    • massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws
    • an investor with a pessimistic market outlook
    • move while holding up or supporting; «Bear gifts»; «bear a heavy load»; also with communication nouns: «bear news»; «bearing orders»
    • have: «bear a resemblance»; «bear a signature»
    • be pregnant with; «She is bearing his child»; «The are expecting another child in January»
    • have rightfully; of rights, titles, and offices; «She bears the title of Duchess»; «He held the governorship for almost a decade»
    • take on as one’s own expenses or debts of another person; «I’ll accept the charges»; «She agreed to bear the responsibility»
    • bring forth, «The apple tree bore delicious apples this year»; «The unidentified plant bore gorgeous flowers»
    • behave in a certain manner; «She carried herself well»; «he bore himself with dignity»; «They conducted themselves well during these difficult times»
    • put up with something or somebody unpleasant; «I cannot bear his constant criticism»; «The new secretary had to endure a lot of unprofessional remarks»
    • give birth (to a newborn); «My wife had twins yesterday!»
    • contain or hold; have within: «The jar carries wine»; «The canteen holds fresh water»; «This can contains water»
    • support or hold in a certain manner; «She holds her head high»; «He carried himself upright»
    • have one one’s person; «He wore a red ribbon»; «bear a scar»
    • bring in; as of investments; «interest-bearing accounts»; «How much does this savings certificate pay annually?»
    • an investor with a pessimistic market outlook; an investor who expects prices to fall and so sells now in order to buy later at a lower price
    • have on one»s person; «He wore a red ribbon»; «bear a scar»
    • be pregnant with; «She is bearing his child»; «The are expecting another child in January»; «I am carrying his child»
    • put up with something or somebody unpleasant; «I cannot bear his constant criticism»; «The new secretary had to endure a lot of unprofessional remarks»; «he learned to tolerate the heat»; «She stuck out two years in a miserable marriage»
    • move while holding up or supporting; «Bear gifts»; «bear a heavy load»; «bear news»; «bearing orders»
    • bring in; «interest-bearing accounts»; «How much does this savings certificate pay annually?»
    • take on as one»s own the expenses or debts of another person; «I»ll accept the charges»; «She agreed to bear the responsibility»
    • have; «bear a resemblance»; «bear a signature»
    • contain or hold; have within; «The jar carries wine»; «The canteen holds fresh water»; «This can contains water»
    • have on one’s person
    • cause to be born
    • be pregnant with
    • put up with something or somebody unpleasant
    • move while holding up or supporting
    • support or hold in a certain manner
    • bring forth,
    • bring in
    • take on as one’s own the expenses or debts of another person
    • have rightfully; of rights, titles, and offices
    • behave in a certain manner
    • have
    • contain or hold; have within

Synonyms for the word bear

    • abide
    • accept
    • acquit
    • allow
    • assume
    • back
    • be marked with
    • behave
    • birth
    • birthe
    • bring
    • bring about
    • bring forth
    • bring into being
    • brook
    • carry
    • comport
    • conduct
    • contain
    • convey
    • create
    • deliver
    • deport
    • develop
    • digest
    • display
    • endure
    • expect
    • generate
    • gestate
    • give birth
    • give birth to
    • go through
    • have
    • have a bun in the oven
    • hold
    • pay
    • produce
    • put up
    • put up with
    • shoulder
    • show
    • stand
    • stick out
    • stomach
    • suffer
    • support
    • sustain
    • swallow
    • take
    • take on
    • take over
    • tolerate
    • turn out
    • uphold
    • wear
    • yield

Similar words in the bear

    • bear
    • bear out
    • bearable
    • beard
    • beard’s
    • beardmore
    • beardmore’s
    • beardsley
    • beardsley’s
    • bearer
    • bearer’s
    • bearers
    • bearing
    • bearing’s
    • bearings
    • bearish
    • bearnaise
    • bearnaise’s
    • bears
    • bearskin
    • bearskin’s
    • bearskins
    • corroborate
    • support
    • underpin

Meronymys for the word bear

    • family Ursidae
    • Ursidae

Hyponyms for the word bear

    • accept
    • acquit
    • American black bear
    • Asiatic black bear
    • assert
    • balance
    • bear
    • bear cub
    • bear up
    • behave
    • black bear
    • brown bear
    • bruin
    • calve
    • carry
    • carry-the can
    • circle
    • clear
    • comport
    • conduct
    • confine
    • crop
    • cub
    • deal
    • deport
    • drop
    • encircle
    • enclose
    • environ
    • Euarctos americanus
    • expect
    • face the music
    • farrow
    • fawn
    • fluster
    • foal
    • frogmarch
    • fruit
    • gestate
    • have a bun in the oven
    • have young
    • hold in
    • hold still for
    • ice bear
    • kitten
    • lamb
    • litter
    • live with
    • Melursus ursinus
    • net
    • overbear
    • pay
    • pay off
    • pig
    • piggyback
    • poise
    • polar bear
    • pose
    • posture
    • pup
    • put forward
    • retain
    • ring
    • round
    • seed
    • Selenarctos thibetanus
    • sit out
    • sling
    • sloth bear
    • spin off
    • stand for
    • stoop
    • submit
    • surround
    • swallow
    • take
    • take a joke
    • take lying down
    • Thalarctos maritimus
    • twin
    • undergo
    • Ursus americanus
    • Ursus arctos
    • Ursus Maritimus
    • Ursus thibetanus
    • Ursus ursinus
    • walk around
    • whelp

Hypernyms for the word bear

    • act
    • allow
    • bear
    • birth
    • bring forth
    • bring in
    • carnivore
    • carry
    • clear
    • countenance
    • create
    • deliver
    • earn
    • feature
    • gain
    • give birth
    • have
    • have got
    • hold
    • include
    • investor
    • let
    • make
    • move
    • permit
    • produce
    • pull in
    • realise
    • realize
    • take
    • take in
    • transport

Antonyms for the word bear

    • bull

See other words

    • What is leven
    • The definition of meer
    • The interpretation of the word overwegen
    • What is meant by overweg
    • The lexical meaning oorlog
    • The dictionary meaning of the word oor
    • The grammatical meaning of the word ooi
    • Meaning of the word omwerken
    • Literal and figurative meaning of the word omlaag
    • The origin of the word bee
    • Synonym for the word berry
    • Antonyms for the word keep
    • Homonyms for the word exist
    • Hyponyms for the word fair
    • Holonyms for the word fat
    • Hypernyms for the word abandon
    • Proverbs and sayings for the word avoid
    • Translation of the word in other languages boy

Sanskrit _bharna_, which signifies «the borne one,» «that which is born,» from the primitive Indo-European root _bhr_, «to bear, to carry in the womb,» whence our «to _bear_» and the German ❋ Alexander F. Chamberlain (N/A)

«I had rather _bear with_ you than _bear_ you; yet if I did bear you, I should bear no _cross_, for I think you have no _money_ in your purse.» ❋ Irvah Lester Winter (N/A)

Again, He tells us: «_The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away_,» that is to say, _the valiant, the energetic, and persevering_, will alone succeed in securing it; for the words _bear away_ express the action of one that seizes a prey. ❋ Charles Sainte-Foi (1833)

Then Draper Spence broke out, with a catch in his throat: «That’s what I can’t bear, Millner, what I simply can’t _bear: _ to hurt him, to hurt his faith in _me! ❋ Edith Wharton (1899)

Those who think they can predict bear markets, and anyone foolish enough to listen to them, might be humbler and wiser if they realized that the term «bear market» has been in flux for a century. ❋ Jason Zweig (2011)

The term «bear,» for someone who profits when stocks fall, dates to the early 1700s. ❋ Jason Zweig (2011)

Charlotte had buried the word bear in with the rest of the animals she could think of, but Isabel jumped on it. ❋ Annie Bryant (2008)

Will the title bear a few words as to Tom the hunter? ❋ Unknown (2003)

Brenda Kerrigan said her husband and son were in locked in what she described as a bear hug when her husband fell «like a feather from the sky.» ❋ Unknown (2011)

The odds are the bear is attacking you because you were near its fresh kill, or you were near its cubs. ❋ Unknown (2009)

You don’t have to be faster than the bear chasing you, just faster than your buddy the bear is also chasing. ❋ Unknown (2009)

In this election, the bear is the voting public — a public dissatisfied with the pace of change, anxious about its economic future and ready to shake up the political status quo. ❋ Chris Cillizza (2010)

When the dog realizes the bear is about he will usually bark and become alert which in turn tells the bear something is amiss. ❋ Unknown (2008)

Or the novice who gets cornered by the bear and prays «Lord, I pray that this bear is a Christian bear and will spare me» He hears next the bear praying, «Lord bless this food that is before me!» ❋ Unknown (2008)

Anyone truly believe they can predict a bear is a fool! ❋ Unknown (2008)

In order to test whether the bear is athletic, I need to make sure the bear can move quickly between point A and point B. ❋ Unknown (2008)

[George’s] sexual tastes [run] toward [bears]. ❋ Kim (2003)

[Check out] [American Bear] [Magazine] ❋ Ian (2004)

Little [Stevie] hugged [a bear] last week. His [funeral] is tomorrow. ❋ Don Bobbly (2008)

[Stephen Colbert]: And the [number one] threat to America is… [bears]. ❋ Aaronak (2006)

[Shhhhh]… I see [a bear] over there. [The government] must have something to hide in this area. ❋ Beniolenio (2019)

[Scott] [Cape] is [a bear]. ❋ Todd «Loves Scott» Kozuki (2003)

These [flowers] are [gorgeous], [thanks] joshbear! ❋ Trace002 (2011)

person 1: «hey, [an you] walk to the shop for me and get me a coke?»
person2: «nahh man that will take bear time and i have to go [outin] a bit, sorry.»
person 1: «ahh, ok [the don’t] worry about it.» ❋ Aiden Face (2010)

[Trucker] one: Hey! I just spotted a bear!
Trucker two: Where at?
Trucker one: by [the 58] marker, on the right [o way].
Trucker two: I’ll pass it on. ❋ Moonbug (2006)

bear is [vodka] ❋ Kkgfdffwdw (2020)

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