grin and bear it

Idioms  

1. Put up good-humoredly with adversity, with good humor, as in It's no fun being sick for the holidays, but you might as well grin and bear it. Also put as grin and abide in the 19th century, this expression became so well known that Sam Walter Foss (1858–1911) made a pun on it in his poem, “The Firm of Grin and Barrett”: “Never yet was any panic Scared the firm of Grin and Barrett.”

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Example Sentences

But for a chance to see their idol, many of her fans are willing to grin and bear it.

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2024

By speaking up when neurotypical people might just grin and bear it, she and others can improve the office environment for all.

From Scientific American • Mar. 20, 2023

All that was left to do was grin and bear it and hope that Mom would give me a turkey sandwich for lunch the next day.

From Washington Post • Apr. 7, 2022

In preparation, Ukrainians seem to be patiently accepting that they must grin and bear it: deal with their very difficult ally, for better or worse.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2020

According to the powers that be, I’m supposed to grin and bear it.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Related Words

• brave
• encounter
• experience
• face
• feel
• go through
• know
• ride out
• suffer
• sustain
• tolerate
• undergo
• weather
• withstand