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.

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

The S&P 500 withstood a bear market in 2022 and roared back with double-digit returns in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

Stocks came within a whisker of a new bear market, Treasury yields spiked and the VIX “fear gauge” reached a level not seen since the Covid-19 panic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 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