Showing Results for "forbear"

See Also:

• a variation of forebear.

forbear

American  

[fawr-bair] / fɔrˈbɛər /

verb (used with object)

forbears, present (3rd person singular) forbore, past forborne, past participle forbearing present participle

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)

forbears, present (3rd person singular) forbore, past forborne, past participle forbearing present participle

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

Derived Forms

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

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have forborne
  perfect
• has forborne
  perfect 3rd person singular
• am forbearing
  progressive 1st person singular
• has been forbearing
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• have been forbearing
  perfect progressive
• are forbearing
  progressive
• is forbearing
  progressive 3rd person singular
• forbears
  singular 3rd person
• forbearing
  participle

Past

• had forborne
  perfect
• were forbearing
  progressive plural
• had been forbearing
  perfect progressive
• forborne
  participle
• forbore
  simple
• was forbearing
  progressive singular

Future

• will forbear
  simple
• will have forborne
  perfect
• will be forbearing
  progressive
• will have been forbearing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of forbear

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

Explanation

When you forbear, you hold yourself back from doing something. If you're mad at your best friend, you might forbear to return her text messages for a while. If you forbear to giggle during your teacher's stern lecture, that's a good thing. You keep yourself from laughing out loud, even though that's instinctively what you want to do. The Old English root, forberan, means "control one's feelings, or tolerate." A less common way to use forbear is as a noun meaning "ancestor." So if you're refraining from reading about your ancestors, you can say you forbear to learn about your forbears.

Example Sentences

Forbear, Platonic fools! t'inquire     What numbers do the soul compose; No harmony can life inspire     But that which from these accents flows.

From A Little Book of Old Time Verse Old Fashioned Flowers by Various

Forbear that dream, or else disprove its pureness by a sign.

From The Poetical Works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning Volume II by Browning, Elizabeth Barrett

Forbear: lest thy proud words provoke worse ill.

From Heathen Mythology by Various

Jeremiah But new tribulations awaited us, Fresh trials; Forbear not to recall the days of bitterness, Forget not those days!

From Jeremiah A Drama in Nine Scenes by Zweig, Stefan

Forbear; thou plead'st in vain; And though I feel soft pity throbbing here; Though each emotion prompts the gen'rous deed, I must not yield; it were assur'd destruction!

From The Grecian Daughter by Murphy, Arthur