forbear

American  

[fawr-bair] / fɔrˈbɛər /

verb (used with object)

forbore, forborne, forbearing

1. to refrain or abstain from; desist from.

   Synonyms:

   renounce, sacrifice, forgo

2. to keep back; withhold.

3. Obsolete. to endure.

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verb (used without object)

forbore, forborne, forbearing

1. to refrain; hold back.

2. to be patient or self-controlled when subject to annoyance or provocation.

forbear ¹ British  

/ fɔːˈbɛə /

verb

1. to cease or refrain (from doing something)

2. archaic to tolerate or endure (misbehaviour, mistakes, etc)

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forbear ² British  

/ ˈfɔːˌbɛə /

noun

1. a variant spelling of forebear

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Other Word Forms

• forbearer noun
• forbearingly adverb
• nonforbearing adjective
• nonforbearingly adverb
• unforbearing adjective

Etymology

Origin of forbear

First recorded before 900; Middle English forberen, Old English forberan “to refrain from, abstain; spare, excuse”; for-, bear ¹

Example Sentences

In “Photographic Memory,” Mr. Griffith takes a straight-faced, graphic-narrative approach to his forbear’s eventful life as a traveler and innovative photographer.

From The Wall Street Journal

In a flashback, Lucia explains to Amelia that her forbears were Spanish and Apache, making the young woman’s English heritage a challenge to the status quo.

From Salon

In the way of his forbears, Gibson uses beads sourced from all over the world, including vintage beads from Japan and China, and glass beads from the Venetian island of Murano.

From Seattle Times

But for all its forbears, this spooky-ooky 1989-set romance has a thoroughly modern sensibility, and it’s about to be the new obsession of quirky teens everywhere.

From Los Angeles Times

The incredible energetic potential of tides was spotted by our medieval forbears.

From BBC