bear market

American

[bair mahr-kit] / ˈbɛər ˈmɑr kɪt /

noun

Stock Exchange.

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

bear market Cultural

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

Etymology

Origin of bear market

First recorded in 1870–75

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.

The last brutal bear market in stocks ended 17 years ago last month—most of a lifetime for many young investors.

From The Wall Street Journal • 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

An IRA conversion is taxable at the value of the account converted, so a bear market is a great time to do it.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

Here’s hoping the next long bear market is far off.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

It was definitely a bear market for UFO's.

From The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects by Ruppelt, Edward J.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023