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
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more โ and it's all completely free to use!
"The Banana Tree," Vocabulary from the short story
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com โ we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The postboxes for each household bear stickers put there after the attacks three years ago: red indicates those killed, and black those taken hostage.
From BBC โ Oct. 7, 2026
Most Americans want the shared benefits of AI but would prefer that others bear the local costs of data centers.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Oct. 6, 2026
On the flip side, Belgium at $725 billion and Ireland at $714 billion would be economies he could fall behind if the Musk industrial complex fell into a bear market.
From MarketWatch โ Oct. 6, 2026
"It's important for me to bear witness," he said.
From Barron's โ Oct. 5, 2026
Pink Number Two had said Hesterfowl’s cabin was one hundred bear paces north.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
They’re even developing a routine: spending the night on the branches of a roost tree before following each other in flight at dawn, according to a Friends of Big Bear Valley Facebook post.
From Los Angeles Times โ Oct. 4, 2026
Fat Bear Week: Which bear has put on the most weight?
From BBC โ Sep. 30, 2026
The winner of this year's Fat Bear Week has been crowned after a nail-biting final -- and it's the son of a former champion.
From Barron's โ Sep. 30, 2026
“Backpack” defeats “910” to win Fat Bear title.
From MarketWatch โ Sep. 30, 2026
And of course if Bear Stearns went down, they’d lose it all.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
“People may underestimate wind and solar power,” Cena says in one ad, describing industry job creation as he calmly defeats several grizzly bears in a tug-of-war.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Oct. 6, 2026
An analysis from Dow Jones Market Data bears this out.
From MarketWatch โ Oct. 4, 2026
The National Parks Service thanked the 16 bears who "involuntarily participated" in the competition, now in its thirteenth year.
From BBC โ Sep. 30, 2026
While the increasingly popular annual competition is largely for fun, organisers say it is helpful in raising awareness of brown bears and their Alaskan habitats, as well as the risks they face from human activity.
From Barron's โ Sep. 30, 2026
Polar bears mostly ate seals, but could only catch them out on the ice that formed when the ocean froze over in the winter.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
It appears that most of those terrestrial planets don't -- they're just bare rock.
From Science Daily โ Oct. 7, 2026
No one sits staring mournfully at the bare lacquered table.
From Salon โ Oct. 7, 2026
Their sites are bare ground, fenced off from the outside.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Oct. 6, 2026
The wars in Iran and Ukraine have laid bare the fragility of energy supply chains, and Greece is positioning itself to become a key hub in southeastern Europe for natural gas transport.
From Barron's โ Oct. 5, 2026
That meager bowl of cabbage broth—so bare, I wouldn’t even call it a soup—failed to satisfy my hearty appetite.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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
His business is bearing the brunt of California’s record diesel costs, which are 32% above the national average.
From Los Angeles Times โ Oct. 7, 2026
A 1624-vintage perpetual Dutch security, originally bearing a yield of 6.25% and denominated in gold, was issued to finance essential repairs to some dikes along the lower Rhine.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Oct. 2, 2026
From going unbeaten in his opening nine games with a refreshing brand of football, the consensus was things had gone flat and that the head coach was bearing the brunt of it.
From BBC โ Oct. 2, 2026
It also released an image of a drone bearing the ironic message "Digital Detox", confirming that the strikes were aimed at disrupting internet access in Ukraine.
From Barron's โ Sep. 27, 2026
They had no official uniforms, but wore helmets of various kinds from army surplus stores, motorcycle shops and hard-hat construction sites, each bearing a small silver decal with “Sheriff’s posse” spelled out in black letters.
From "Because They Marched" by Russell Freedman
"This lovely little jaw caused great confusion when it was first found as it bore no resemblance to any known species," she said.
From BBC โ Sep. 28, 2026
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
I won’t bore you with our dismal record, but being on the team was the most transformative experience of my young adulthood.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 9, 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
He thought about Memorial Hall, a quiet corridor in the temple that bore a permanent list of fallen Sons etched directly into the stone walls.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
In a new study, Northwestern researchers examined all 130,267 babies born in Georgia in 2017 and followed their fathers for the next five years, through 2022.
From Science Daily โ Oct. 8, 2026
As of May 2025, Zhang maintained a spreadsheet that tracked 21 children, including those born to surrogates.
From BBC โ Oct. 7, 2026
Many Mexican Americans, including my cousins and me, consider family members raised in Mexico to be immigrants, even if they were born in the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times โ Oct. 7, 2026
Hugh Harper said when Leona was born he was the "first to hold her"
From BBC โ Oct. 7, 2026
“If she was in a rumpel when the boy was born, the magic wouldn’t have died with her. It would affect her child too.”
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
That is borne out in research, which shows relational organizing works because young people trust their neighbors or community networks far more than national parties.
From Salon โ Oct. 2, 2026
"To see those predictions borne out is a beautiful thing."
From Science Daily โ Oct. 1, 2026
Every robot that faceplanted, lost a limb, or disintegrated in a spray of sparks was borne away on a stretcher by human attendants with deadpan solicitude.
From Slate โ Sep. 27, 2026
The program is funded by a payroll tax of 12.4%, borne equally by employer and employee and applied to the first $184,500 of taxable income.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 17, 2026
Alice Manfred had seen and borne much, had been scared all over the country, in every street of it.
From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison
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.
