bear
verb (used with object)
to hold up; support.
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:
He assured Sen. John Cornyn that “other agencies or departments” somehow binds only the IRS and Treasury, a reading Cornyn told him the text will not bear.
From Slate โ Aug. 10, 2026
Before his death three decades later he arranged to leave most of his fortune to establish the annual prizes that now bear the family’s name.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Aug. 9, 2026
Its current incarnation is a student in a big red bear costume performing at sporting games.
From Salon โ Aug. 8, 2026
Still, it’s always worth asking whether your portfolio could withstand a prolonged bear market without affecting your peace of mind.
From MarketWatch โ Aug. 8, 2026
Ask the World Spirit to destroy the bear?
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Jackie and Shadow had been mates since 2018, the Friends of Big Bear Valley website said.
From BBC โ Aug. 10, 2026
Not long after, Sandy Steers, executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, died after a private battle with cancer.
From Los Angeles Times โ Aug. 10, 2026
A livestream featuring the Big Bear Valley nest of Jackie and her partner, Shadow, has hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
From BBC โ Aug. 10, 2026
Jackie’s rise to reality stardom began after Friends of Big Bear Valley installed a webcam in 2015 to capture the goings-on of her parents’ nest.
From Los Angeles Times โ Aug. 10, 2026
Momma Bear opened her mouth wide and swung her head back and forth, low and mean, showing off her huge, sharp teeth.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
More than a century later, Cornell apparently still has bears turning up on campus — though university officials would now prefer students not butcher them in the dorm kitchen.
From Salon โ Aug. 8, 2026
Another treasure in the collection for Val is a miniature school for little bears - she said she still remembers all the names she gave to the little pupils.
From BBC โ Aug. 8, 2026
Mr. Zelensky watched from the gallery as the Senate advanced a bill that now bears Graham’s name.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Aug. 7, 2026
And yet, for the third week in a row, the proportion of bears was greater than that of bulls.
From MarketWatch โ Aug. 7, 2026
Showing tourists the falling-down, graffitied buildings that had been surrendered to the snow and ice and polar bears.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
Architect Dr Rachel O'Grady, who specialises in urban strategy, told BBC News NI "the bare bones of a really excellent city is there".
From BBC โ Aug. 10, 2026
Her bank accounts were stripped bare by Medicaid during her illness.
From MarketWatch โ Aug. 6, 2026
The day was sticky enough that the plastic adhered to my bare shoulder.
From Salon โ Aug. 4, 2026
On a beach in southern Romania, a few metres from the Danube shore, a boy sloshed his bare feet through water that only reached up to his ankles.
From Barron's โ Jul. 30, 2026
Volcanologists learned that past behavior of a volcano can only be treated as a bare minimum in hazard assessment.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
Making things all the more difficult was the culpability that some players beared for the team’s fortunes.
From Los Angeles Times โ Sep. 17, 2025
“We found ourselves in a two-possession game in the fourth quarter, and we beared down and won the game,” South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley said on Friday.
From New York Times โ Mar. 29, 2022
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
“He gave up a lot of hits but beared down when he had to. He pitched well enough to win and he pitched well enough to lose. We just couldn’t score.”
From Washington Times โ Jun. 10, 2017
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 he were actually talented at the former, which he is not, it would have no bearing on the latter, and the consequences of that are turning out to be substantial and damaging.
From Salon โ Aug. 7, 2026
The jacket belonged to his late father, whom he remembers hovering over a record player, bearing songs from a more thrilling world.
From Los Angeles Times โ Aug. 5, 2026
Arab Gulf countries and their economies are bearing heavy costs from the regional war.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Aug. 1, 2026
Some governments may also conclude that bearing the costs of a more robust response is preferable to living with repeated crises affecting international shipping and energy supplies.
From BBC โ Jul. 30, 2026
I didn’t open my eyes until the ram’s horn sounded, and Samir yawned and said, “Haha! My mustache is bearing fruit!”
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
The engraved silver salver bore the mark of Dorothy Mills, one of just a handful of registered female silversmiths working in the 1700s, the NT said.
From BBC โ Aug. 10, 2026
He said social media platforms bore responsibility for not rebutting in time the content that encouraged last week's rush, warning it was "very likely" a similar event would happen "in any part of the world".
From Barron's โ Aug. 6, 2026
And as the poor performances mounted, Sasaki’s problems only intensified: His velocity dipped, his mechanics went off-kilter and he bore little resemblance to the pitcher once known as the “Monster of the Reiwa Era.”
From The Wall Street Journal โ Jul. 29, 2026
Later that afternoon, about four miles away outside of Home Depot in Pasadena, organizers staked in the ground dozens of white crosses that bore photos of the dead — the majority of them men.
From Los Angeles Times โ Jul. 25, 2026
Croquet’s a bore, but he was right about the widows.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
Children born to black Africans in America have earnings similar to those of whites in this country, and this phenomenon is led by second-generation women.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Aug. 10, 2026
Hunnam’s take on Gein’s voice is based on information that described him as having a very young mental age and on his mother’s insistence that she wished he’d been born a girl.
From Los Angeles Times โ Aug. 10, 2026
Ipswich made 39 permanent first-team signings during McKenna's four-and-a-half-year reign, 32 of them either born or raised in Britain or Ireland, with just two joining directly from European clubs.
From BBC โ Aug. 10, 2026
Clarke was born in Vancouver and was a dual citizen of Canada and the USA.
From BBC โ Aug. 8, 2026
“Did you know that Churchill was born in America?” says Marion.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
This is borne out by 2022 YouGov research, which found that while about two-thirds of people consider visible tattoos on the face or neck unprofessional, a similar proportion would think other visible tattoos are professional.
From BBC โ Aug. 10, 2026
Over the weekend, an uneasy ceasefire established itself across the Persian Gulf, suggesting Signum’s theories had been borne out and validated by events.
From MarketWatch โ Jul. 27, 2026
He does not need to lift his team into the postseason, a burden often borne by marquee free agents signed to put their team over the top.
From Los Angeles Times โ Jul. 20, 2026
Farming and fishing communities in the Niger Delta, the heartland of Nigeria's crude production, have borne the brunt of pollution.
From Barron's โ Jul. 17, 2026
He loved mountains, or he had loved the thought of them marching on the edge of stories brought from far away; but now he was borne down by the insupportable weight of Middle-earth.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
