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

The stock has fallen by 31% from its all-time intraday high of $225.64, officially sinking it past the 20% threshold that defines a textbook bear market.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 23, 2026

More recently, however, gold prices entered a bear market — with prices on June 10 having fallen by more than 20% from their March highs.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026

Defense stocks were down an average of 20% since the war began, entering bear market territory, after being up 77% in the prior 12 months.

From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026

It’s been 91 days since gold hit its recent peak — making for the quickest entry into a bear market since 2008.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

He was a bull in a bear market; and the more he lost the more he thought the inevitable "rally" in prices was due.

From The Tipster 1901, From "Wall Street Stories" by Lefevre, Edwin