bear market

American  

[bair mahr-kit] / ˈbɛər ˈmɑr kɪt /

noun

Stock Exchange.

1. a financial market characterized by investment prices that are falling or that are forecast to fall.

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bear market Cultural  

1. A market, especially a stock market, characterized by falling prices; the opposite of a bull market.

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Etymology

Origin of bear market

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

“It’s crazy to think this serious correction is the start of a new bear market. Usually you don’t get a second bear market from one year over a major bottom.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

Retirees in 1968 fared worse when stocks encountered a prolonged bear market that persisted until the early 1980s.

From Barron's • Apr. 19, 2026

It did particularly well navigating the COVID-19-induced bear market in 2020 and subsequent recovery, for example.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

Over that time an average of about 100 funds were liquidated each year, with 2009, the trough of a bear market, seeing the highest number.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Instead of the price of wheat going up, as it should have done at this season of the year, wheat has been forced down and down by a strong bear market.

From The Automobile Girls at Chicago or, Winning Out Against Heavy Odds by Crane, Laura Dent