bear
verb (used with object)
to hold up; support.
Trivia Time
Which star pattern forms part of the Great Bear constellation?
bear
1 American
[bair]
/ bษษr /
verb (used with object)
bore,
bare,
borne,
born,
bearing
-
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.
- Synonyms:
- yield
-
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 (oneselfโ).
to bear oneself bravely.
-
to bear the blame.
-
to sustain without yielding or suffering injury; tolerate (usually used in negative constructions, unless qualified).
I can't bear your nagging. I can hardly bear to see her suffering so.
-
to be fit for or worthy of.
It doesn't bear repeating.
-
to carry; bring.
to bear gifts.
-
to carry in the mind or heart: to bear malice.
to bear love;
to bear malice.
-
to transmit or spread (gossip, tales, etc.).
-
to render; afford; give: to bear testimony.
to bear witness;
to bear testimony.
-
to lead; guide; take.
They bore him home.
-
to have and be entitled to.
to bear title.
-
to bear a resemblance.
-
to accept or have, as an obligation: to bear the cost.
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 an inscription.
to bear traces;
to bear an inscription.
-
to have and use; exercise: to bear sway.
to bear authority;
to bear sway.
verb (used without object)
bore,
bare,
borne,
born,
bearing
-
to tend in a course or direction; move; go: to bear left at the fork in the road.
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 phrase
-
bear with to be patient or forbearing with.
Please bear with me until I finish the story.
-
bear down on / upon
-
to press or weigh down on.
-
to strive toward.
-
to approach something rapidly.
-
Nautical. to approach (another vessel) from windward.
The sloop bore down on us, narrowly missing our stern.
-
-
bear up to endure; face hardship bravely.
It is inspiring to see them bearing up so well.
-
bear out to substantiate; confirm.
The facts bear me out.
-
bear off
-
Nautical. to keep (a boat) from touching or rubbing against a dock, another boat, etc.
-
Nautical. to steer away.
-
Backgammon. to remove the stones from the board after they are all home.
-
-
bear on / upon to affect, relate to, or have connection with; be relevant to.
This information may bear on the case.
-
bear down
-
to press or weigh down.
-
to strive harder; intensify one's efforts.
We can't hope to finish unless everyone bears down.
-
Nautical. to approach from windward, as a ship.
The cutter was bearing down the channel at twelve knots.
-
idioms
-
bear false witness. see bear false witness.
-
bring to bear, to concentrate on with a specific purpose.
Pressure was brought to bear on those with overdue accounts.
-
bear witness. see bear witness.
bear
2
American
[bair]
/ bษษr /
noun
-
bears,
plural
-
bear
plural
-
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.
-
Astronomy. Bear, either of two constellations, Ursa Major or Ursa Minor.
-
Informal. a player at cards who rarely bluffs.
-
Bear. Russia.
adjective
verb (used with object)
beared,
bearing
idioms
Bear
3
American
[bair]
/ bษษr /
noun
bear
1
British
/ bษษ /
verb
-
to support or hold up; sustain
-
to bring or convey
to bear gifts
-
to take, accept, or assume the responsibility of
to bear an expense
-
(past participle bornin passive use except when foll by by) to give birth to
to bear children
-
(also intr) to produce by or as if by natural growth
to bear fruit
-
to tolerate or endure
she couldn't bear him
-
to admit of; sustain
his story does not bear scrutiny
-
to hold in the conscious mind or in one's feelings
to bear a grudge
I'll bear that idea in mind
-
to show or be marked with
he still bears the scars
-
to transmit or spread
to 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 direction
the way bears east
-
to have by right; be entitled to (esp in the phrase bear title )
-
to give assistance
-
to bring into operation or effect
he brought his knowledge to bear on the situation
bear
2
British
/ bษษ /
noun
-
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
-
any of various bearlike animals, such as the koala and the ant bear
-
a clumsy, churlish, or ill-mannered person
-
a teddy bear
-
stock exchange
-
a speculator who sells in anticipation of falling prices to make a profit on repurchase
-
( as modifier ) Compare bull 1
a bear market
-
verb
Bear
3
British
/ bษษ /
noun
-
the English name for Ursa Major Ursa Minor
-
an informal name for Russia
bear
More Idioms
Usage
Whatโs the difference between bear and bare? As a verb, bear commonly means to endure something negative (as in I canโt bear to watch) or to carry, hold up, or support (as in The roof canโt 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. Hereโs 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.
Commonly Confused
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 โto bring forth (young)โ 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 โby birth,โ โinnate,โ or โnativeโ: born free; a born troublemaker; Mexican-born.
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of bear1
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)bรคren, Russian berรซt โ(he) takes,โ Albanian bie, Tocharian pรคr-, Phrygian ab-beret โ(he) brings,โ Latin ferre, Old Irish berid โ(he) carries,โ Armenian berem, Greek phรฉrein, Sanskrit bhรกrati, Avestan baraiti; from Indo-European bher- ( see -fer, -phore)
Origin of bear2
First recorded before 1000; Middle English bere, beare, beor(e), Old English bera; cognate with Frisian bฤr, Dutch beer, Old High German bero, German Bรคr; from Proto-Germanic beran- literally, โthe brown oneโ; akin to Old Norse bjวซrn, bersi; compare Lithuanian beฬฬras โbrownโ; cf. bruin
Explanation
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 โ an investor who is pessimistic about the market. In its verb form, bear is rooted in the Old English beran, meaning โto bring forth, sustain, endureโ 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.
Vocabulary lists containing bear
ACT Vocabulary List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com โ one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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"The Banana Tree," Vocabulary from the short story
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Many on Wall Street view a decline of at least 20% from a record high as defining a bear market.
From MarketWatch โ Sep. 21, 2026
The state risk pool was never intended to bear such risk.
From Los Angeles Times โ Sep. 20, 2026
University of Chicago Booth School of Business economist Christina Patterson said employees who achieve pay bumps often bear a burden.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 18, 2026
In October 2011, Crystal Kelley signed a contract to bear a baby for a couple in Connecticut, where she also lived.
From Slate โ Sep. 17, 2026
Torak began to see bear shapes in the fog.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
The phrases to know so you sound clever during Fat Bear Week.
From MarketWatch โ Sep. 21, 2026
Demand for the IPO was thin, and one week before IPO, Bear called the company and said they’d be unable to raise the funds.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 18, 2026
Reiner, who died last December, received a posthumous Emmy last week for his guest appearance in The Bear.
From BBC โ Sep. 15, 2026
Other highlights from the Emmy pre-ceremonies were a posthumous award for Rob Reiner for best guest actor in a comedy for "The Bear," and seven prizes for Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show.
From Barron's โ Sep. 12, 2026
At the end of 2007, Bear Stearns had nevertheless invited Eisman to a warm and fuzzy meet and greet with their new CEO, Alan Schwartz.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Inside, over the course of my three days at the convention, I met no bears within the predominantly male crowd.
From Slate โ Sep. 20, 2026
If the S&P 500 closes below 7,580 for two consecutive days — it closed below that level on Wednesday but bounced back above it on Thursday — that’s when the bears will take control.
From MarketWatch โ Sep. 18, 2026
"I will never forget meeting the bears for the first time," he said.
From BBC โ Sep. 16, 2026
In her modest office, a poster bears a famous quote from legendary Soviet rock group Kino: "Our hearts demand changes."
From Barron's โ Sep. 16, 2026
Owen knew what was going to happen next: These two bears were about to throw down.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
Also known as grabblers or hand-fishermen, noodlers use their own bare limbs as bait to catch enormous flathead catfish lurking in Southern and Midwestern rivers, creeks, and lakes.
From Slate โ Sep. 17, 2026
The practice was banned in 2020, but the bare faces that cutting left behind are still collapsing and eroding today, washing sediment down into reservoirs.
From BBC โ Sep. 12, 2026
As Greengrass lays out the bare facts of this situation with a cinematic style that’s more news documentary than stuffy period piece, the parallels to our own current situation are laid bare.
From Los Angeles Times โ Sep. 11, 2026
Big cheers to Chelsea Handler for taking up a travel etiquette cause we can probably all agree on: bare feet on planes.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 11, 2026
Because the snow is shallow the sleds cut through to bare asphalt, so there is no steering, no real control.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
“He just beared down and made pitches when he needed to,” manager Dave Roberts said, “versus feeling it with the mechanics or being uncertain.”
From Los Angeles Times โ Jun. 28, 2026
Wrestling fans around the world beared witness to some of the most iconic moments in WWE history at Sunday night’s edition of WrestleMania.
From Fox News โ Apr. 8, 2019
The recovery effort is just begging on those Gulf Coast states when Irma beared down on Florida.
From Washington Times โ Sep. 10, 2017
“When we had those opportunities to get runs, he beared down and made some really good pitches in some tough situations,” Jackson said.
From Seattle Times โ Sep. 7, 2014
After a hesitation, he turned back to Kira and said in a low voice, ‘‘I beared them talking.
From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry
Even if a condo comes with a lower price tag, selling one has become more difficult as buyers get spooked at the prospect of bearing ever-rising costs.
From MarketWatch โ Sep. 18, 2026
The lawsuit also accuses two men in Peru of painting fakes bearing Warhol’s signature and shipping canvases resembling Warhol’s 1983 portfolio of endangered species to Roberts’s gallery.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 12, 2026
Dame Vera Baird said: "We will be looking at the report with interest to assess whether it has any bearing on our review of the case."
From BBC โ Sep. 12, 2026
All eyes are now turning to the Consumer Price Index, a key gauge of consumer inflation due to be released Friday, for the overall bearing these figures may have on US interest rates.
From Barron's โ Sep. 10, 2026
A gold glittery star bearing Arletta’s name in looping fuchsia cursive sparkled on the door.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
At the beginning of the year, the rotation bore the brunt of the injury bug, with left-hander Blake Snell and right-hander Tyler Glasnow missing months of the season.
From Los Angeles Times โ Sep. 17, 2026
While in the field, we encountered bore holes from bauxite mining exploration.
From Science Daily โ Aug. 28, 2026
Tens of thousands of people looked set to spend another night away from home Monday as a wind-driven fire bore down on the western US city of Reno.
From Barron's โ Aug. 24, 2026
It was Seoul that bore the brunt of Pyongyang's ire following these summits.
From BBC โ Aug. 20, 2026
“Take the guy’s card. Just don’t bore me to death with more jelly bean trivia.”
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
Last year, he moved back to China, where he was born, to build an astrology app.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 20, 2026
Much more rarely, a person is born without the antigen because of an inherited genetic change.
From Science Daily โ Sep. 19, 2026
"He died doing the work he was born to do," Trump said at the time.
From BBC โ Sep. 18, 2026
In Wells Fargo’s survey, two-thirds of parents of adult Gen Z-ers — the generation born between 1997 and 2012 — said they provide financial support to their children.
From MarketWatch โ Sep. 18, 2026
“I never knew him, either. He died before I was born, in the mines.”
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
As Ms. Bowman documents, reality hasn’t borne this out.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 14, 2026
Continuing his evidence on Wednesday, Beggs said: "All of the interactions with the police and VC from my constabulary were borne of mental illness."
From BBC โ Sep. 9, 2026
Benin's efforts have already borne fruit after it introduced a policy based on building new, modern markets and reorganising large commercial areas.
From Barron's โ Sep. 9, 2026
While the price that will be borne by these people and their families may be unimaginable, the communities they leave behind in the U.S. are affected as well.
From Salon โ Sep. 3, 2026
All he saw was the battered body of a stoat being borne towards him on what appeared to be a boiling wave of ooze.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, ยฉ Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritageยฎ Idioms Dictionary copyright ยฉ 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
