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• bear
  bear

  verb (used with object)

  to hold up; support.
• Bear
  Bear

  noun

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

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bear

¹ American  

[bair] / bɛər /

verb (used with object)

bore, bare, borne, born, bearing

1. to hold up; support.

   to bear the weight of the roof.

   Synonyms:

   sustain, uphold

2. to hold or remain firm under (a load).

   The roof will not bear the strain of his weight.

3. to bring forth (young); give birth to.

   to bear a child.

4. to produce by natural growth.

   a tree that bears fruit.

   Synonyms:

   yield

5. to hold up under; be capable of.

   His claim doesn't bear close examination.

6. to press or push against.

   The crowd was borne back by the police.

   Synonyms:

   force, drive, thrust

7. to hold or carry (oneself, one's body, one's head, etc.).

   to bear oneself erectly.

8. to conduct (oneself ).

   to bear oneself bravely.

9. to suffer; endure; undergo.

   to bear the blame.

10. 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.

    Synonyms:

    suffer, abide, brook

11. to be fit for or worthy of.

    It doesn't bear repeating.

12. to carry; bring.

    to bear gifts.

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

    to bear love;

    to bear malice.

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

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

    to bear witness;

    to bear testimony.

16. to lead; guide; take.

    They bore him home.

17. to have and be entitled to.

    to bear title.

18. to exhibit; show.

    to bear a resemblance.

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

    to bear responsibility;

    to bear the cost.

20. to stand in (a relation or ratio); have or show correlatively.

    the relation that price bears to profit.

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

    to bear traces;

    to bear an inscription.

22. to have and use; exercise: to bear sway.

    to bear authority;

    to bear sway.

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verb (used without object)

bore, bare, borne, born, bearing

1. 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.

2. to be located or situated.

   The lighthouse bears due north.

3. to bring forth young or fruit.

   Next year the tree will bear.

verb phrase

1. bear with to be patient or forbearing with.

   Please bear with me until I finish the story.

2. 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.

3. bear up to endure; face hardship bravely.

   It is inspiring to see them bearing up so well.

4. bear out to substantiate; confirm.

   The facts bear me out.

5. 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.

6. bear on / upon to affect, relate to, or have connection with; be relevant to.

   This information may bear on the case.

7. 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.

idioms

1. bear false witness. see bear false witness.

2. bring to bear, to concentrate on with a specific purpose.

   Pressure was brought to bear on those with overdue accounts.

3. bear witness. see bear witness.

bear ² American  

[bair] / bɛər /

noun

• bears,
  plural
• bear
  plural

1. 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.

2. any of various animals resembling the bear, as the ant bear.

3. a gruff, burly, clumsy, bad-mannered, or rude person.

4. a person who believes that market prices, especially of stocks, will decline (opposed to bull).

5. Informal. a person who shows great ability, enthusiasm, stamina, etc..

   a bear for physics.

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

7. Informal. a player at cards who rarely bluffs.

8. Bear. Russia.

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adjective

1. having to do with or marked by declining prices, as of stocks.

   bear market.

verb (used with object)

beared, bearing

1. Stock Exchange. to force prices down in (a market, stock, etc.).

idioms

1. loaded for bear, fully prepared and eager to initiate or deal with a fight, confrontation, or trouble.

   Keep away from the boss—he's loaded for bear today.

Bear ³ American  

[bair] / bɛər /

noun

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

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bear ¹ British  

/ bɛə /

verb

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 bornin 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. to give assistance

17. to bring into operation or effect

    he brought his knowledge to bear on the situation

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bear ² British  

/ bɛə /

noun

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

2. 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

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

   2. ( as modifier ) Compare bull 1

      a bear market

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verb

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

Bear ³ British  

/ bɛə /

noun

1. the English name for Ursa Major Ursa Minor

2. an informal name for Russia

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bear More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing bear

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

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Usage

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.

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 “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.

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

• bearlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bear
  plural
• bears
  plural

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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)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)

Origin of bear²

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

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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 — 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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bear Bear bears bare beared bearing bore born borne

The waste is particularly difficult to bear because salmon fishing has been severely restricted -- and even outright banned -- for years among the Indigenous communities along the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers.

From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2026

She experienced Apple’s shift from founder-CEO Steve Jobs to successor Tim Cook, and brought that perspective to bear on Nvidia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026

When Ellie Goudie's brother Ryan died aged 23, she could not bear the thought of anyone else having his belongings.

From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026

The SOX had tumbled 46.5% during the bear market.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

‘He -he told me he saw the bear “made”.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

Bear with me, because I’m about to explain why I have some hope that Raman might do a better job on homelessness than her predecessors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2026

He offers the same recommendation when BofA’s Bull & Bear Indicator, a composite measure, rises above 8.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

Jackie amassed millions of devoted fans thanks to a nonstop livestream of the aerie overlooking Big Bear Lake she shared with mate Shadow.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Gary Simms, a Cowbridge local, also had a picture with the actor when he saw him in the Bear Hotel on Sunday evening, the night before filming.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

Wall Street firms—most notably Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers—continued to publish bond market research reaffirming the strength of the market.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Sculptures of bears and bees would be put up across the island's wild landscapes, coastal spots and urban spaces to celebrate the arrival of the new species in their new enclosure next year, said bosses.

From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026

"The circumstances surrounding this tragic incident, which has deeply saddened our nation, including how and why it happened, whether there was any negligence and who bears responsibility, will be established," Erdogan said on television.

From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2026

“The bulls needed only a slight taste of heating demands to chase the bears off the board and put us firmly over $3,” Gary Cunningham of Tradition Energy says in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026

The phenomenon, known as "gravitational reconnection," bears an unexpected resemblance to a process responsible for some of the Sun's most powerful eruptions.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 8, 2026

“Thankfully, polar bears prefer to eat seals,” he went on.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Even “minor” Almodóvar has its strengths, although it’s ironic that, by laying bare his history as a creative magpie, he ends up a bit blocked.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2026

“At a bare minimum, the pending lower court nominations have to be confirmed — it should be the lowest of the low-hanging fruit,” Hammer said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2026

“Taking back the insurance cuts of last year is the bare minimum right now,” Dutta wrote.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026

A trend among China’s youth of fleeing the rat race and doing the bare minimum has prompted concern in Beijing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

The rusted metal pushed into his hands and scraped his bare belly.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

Making things all the more difficult was the culpability that some players beared for the team’s fortunes.

From Los Angeles Times ● 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 ● Mar. 29, 2022

“The guys put their mind to it and beared down. Kind of: ‘Enough’s enough,’” Reid said.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 17, 2021

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 ● Apr. 8, 2019

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 situation with Nvidia should not really have any bearing on the trip," a second US senior official said.

From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2026

We’re bearing witness, and hearing from them what came after.

From Slate ● Nov. 8, 2026

By reducing normal weight bearing and muscle use, this technique produces some of the changes associated with prolonged inactivity, including muscle deterioration.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026

Singer’s warning echoes fellow hedge-fund manager Ken Griffin’s comments last month about the AI boom bearing all the hallmarks of a speculative bubble.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

I think her bearing astounded and even awed them.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

It bore battle scars, but there was a shielded space under two large concrete slabs and between two large metal boilers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Exercising the waiver authority was "essential" for the US-Egypt relationship, "particularly in light of Egypt's helpful role following Operation Epic Fury," according to the September 4 memo seen by Reuters which bore Rubio's signature.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

“The AI trade bore the brunt of the mover lower,” he added, with the AI bottleneck and power themes also badly hit.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026

Seoul and Tokyo again bore the brunt of the selling as traders bailed out of once-imperious chipmakers, though the selling was heavy across most of the region, tracking sharp losses on Wall Street.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

In a final burst of speed, the horse of the Horned King plunged ahead; the animal’s flanks bore against Melyngar, who reared furiously and struck out with her hoofs.

From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander

Liu, the former Harvard mathematician, was born in 1965 on the campus of Tsinghua, which was founded in 1911 to prepare Chinese students for American universities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 15, 2026

Rees-Zammit and New Zealand born full-back Blair Murray continually stretched the All Blacks defence, while centre James proved he is a Test match performer.

From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2026

She was born in Canada and particularly loves the Crown Maple Syrup of her youth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 15, 2026

“We launched in December, right after this horrible tragedy. The spaceship was actually born out of a tragedy: Challenger. This is the replacement for Challenger,” the Arizona Democrat said in an interview.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2026

“I was born here. I’m a born citizen!”

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Our publisher, on the other hand, had already borne the cost of paying us, the editors, the photographer, the designer, and everyone else involved in producing our book.

From Slate ● Nov. 14, 2026

Then, whether buyers return to semiconductor stocks that have borne the worst of the selling, and whether any recovery extends beyond a handful of top-tier tech names.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

"The additional cost is borne by the state," he said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026

Michigan’s manufacturing supply chains are deeply integrated with Canada, and small businesses especially have borne the tariff brunt since they have less capacity to absorb the costs than larger companies do.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

‘Indeed sooner would I bear a horse than be borne by one. I love my feet better. But, maybe, I shall come yet where I can stand and fight.’

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien

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