bear
verb (used with object)
to hold up; support.
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Bewar.
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:
“May you bear witness to those around you to the journey you are making, and inspire them to ask themselves questions as well,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 26, 2026
The dog “threw herself between Jeff and the bear in an effort to protect him,” according to the page.
From Los Angeles Times โ Sep. 26, 2026
Oh, and by the way, I’m rooting for unnamed bear 909.
From Salon โ Sep. 26, 2026
"We'll do everything we can to make your day, but just be aware we're doing our best so please just bear with us."
From BBC โ Sep. 25, 2026
The light was fading, but he could still make out the bear tracks, and he didn’t want Wolf touching them.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Of course I’m talking about Fat Bear Week, the annual event in which people elect — well, yes, the fattest bear.
From Salon โ Sep. 26, 2026
Stocks peaked in August of that year, said McDonald, the founder of The Bear Traps Report, an independent macroeconomic-research platform.
From MarketWatch โ Sep. 24, 2026
Bear in mind that the two Charleses have had a difficult relationship for decades.
From BBC โ Sep. 20, 2026
The 500,000-square-foot Los Angeles warehouse, known within the company as Big Bear, held more than 89 million pounds of frozen food.
From Los Angeles Times โ Sep. 17, 2026
“Nanuq here was tranquilized and spent a month in Polar Bear Jail before being released back into the wild,” George explained.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
Voting officially opened Sept. 22, continuing a tradition started in 2014 to select which bears are the best and most fat using a March Madness-style bracket.
From Salon โ Sep. 26, 2026
Half a century ago, the bears introduced to the U.S. a warm, cuddly image of a China that had been seen to embody stark authoritarianism.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 25, 2026
In return, Xi announced he was giving the Atlanta Zoo two panda bears and extended the U.S.–China trade-war truce, which was about to expire, by two months.
From Slate โ Sep. 25, 2026
Nancy, now two, is now recovering well at home but still bears physical and mental scars from her long stay in hospital.
From BBC โ Sep. 24, 2026
The bears probably hadn’t eaten much in the five months they’d been waiting for the sea ice to re-form.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
But it laid bare the issue the Chinese leader cares about most—and the prize he really came to Washington chasing.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 25, 2026
A circle of nine stately wood chairs on a bare stage.
From Los Angeles Times โ Sep. 18, 2026
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
Then came a 90-minute video of Fiona's witness statement to the inquest which laid bare, in stark and emotional detail, her grief at the death of her only son.
From BBC โ Sep. 15, 2026
I would look around at the bare little cell and wonder what conceivable victory could come from a place like this.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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
The recovery effort is just begging on those Gulf Coast states when Irma beared down on Florida.
From Washington Times โ Sep. 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
The list of failed enterprises bearing his family moniker is as long as it is embarrassing.
From Salon โ Sep. 24, 2026
After the wreckage was recovered from the ocean, the report said, an examination revealed that a bearing failed in the high-pressure fuel pump.
From Los Angeles Times โ Sep. 23, 2026
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
Mr. Diamond’s book would have benefited from a breakdown of leadership into various traits—humility, arrogance, decisiveness—and a discussion of their bearing on success or failure.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 16, 2026
And then Dad comes up the deck stairs, calling, “Hello, hello! I come bearing a fourteenth birthday gift! Hey, a whole crew!”
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
She said her own CDU party in Saxony also bore responsibility for the decision.
From BBC โ Sep. 26, 2026
Semiconductor stocks bore the brunt of the statements.
From Los Angeles Times โ Sep. 14, 2026
It bore little fruit, and was eclipsed entirely when his conservative successor, Brian Mulroney won the 1984 election and began working with Ronald Reagan on what would evolve into Nafta.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 13, 2026
She bore a large scar on her face when she met with AFP at her home in Bethlehem, holding a stuffed fox that had belonged to her son.
From Barron's โ Aug. 30, 2026
Letter paper was scarce in Plinkst, but she had found a stack of yellowed sheets in the nursery that still bore the faded trace of Master Gogolev’s handwriting.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
His paternal grandmother was born in Le Havre in Normandy in 1894.
From BBC โ Sep. 26, 2026
Records show their youngest daughter, Ephraïma, was born in Berbice in 1771 before moving to the Netherlands when she was 3.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 26, 2026
Jay-Z, who was born Shawn Carter, dismissed the accusation as a "fictional tale," and the woman dropped her civil lawsuit against the pair in 2025.
From Barron's โ Sep. 25, 2026
Born in 1991, Peña was born years after the Smiths broke up, but was introduced to the group’s catalog at age 5, while his uncle drove him around in a lowrider.
From Los Angeles Times โ Sep. 25, 2026
His real name is Ralph, but his parents nicknamed him in Ojibwe after Animal, from the Muppets, because he’s been pounding and tapping everything in reach since he was born.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
As Ms. Bowman documents, reality hasn’t borne this out.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 14, 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
The higher costs such as tariffs are borne by consumers.
From MarketWatch โ Sep. 4, 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
In the day, I minister to the dying in the quarantine camp, which hath a sweet miasma so foul it can scarce be borne.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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.
