bear
verb (used with object)
to hold up; support.
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to bear.
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Which star pattern forms part of the Great Bear constellation?
bear
1 American
[bair]
/ bษษr /
verb (used with object)
bore,
bare,
borne,
born,
bearing
-
to hold up; support.
to bear the weight of the roof.
-
to hold or remain firm under (a load).
The roof will not bear the strain of his weight.
-
to bring forth (young); give birth to.
to bear a child.
-
to produce by natural growth.
a tree that bears fruit.
- Synonyms:
- yield
-
to hold up under; be capable of.
His claim doesn't bear close examination.
-
to press or push against.
The crowd was borne back by the police.
-
to hold or carry (oneself, one's body, one's head, etc.).
to bear oneself erectly.
-
to conduct (oneselfโ).
to bear oneself bravely.
-
to bear the blame.
-
to sustain without yielding or suffering injury; tolerate (usually used in negative constructions, unless qualified).
I can't bear your nagging. I can hardly bear to see her suffering so.
-
to be fit for or worthy of.
It doesn't bear repeating.
-
to carry; bring.
to bear gifts.
-
to carry in the mind or heart: to bear malice.
to bear love;
to bear malice.
-
to transmit or spread (gossip, tales, etc.).
-
to render; afford; give: to bear testimony.
to bear witness;
to bear testimony.
-
to lead; guide; take.
They bore him home.
-
to have and be entitled to.
to bear title.
-
to bear a resemblance.
-
to accept or have, as an obligation: to bear the cost.
to bear responsibility;
to bear the cost.
-
to stand in (a relation or ratio); have or show correlatively.
the relation that price bears to profit.
-
to possess, as a quality or characteristic; have in or on: to bear an inscription.
to bear traces;
to bear an inscription.
-
to have and use; exercise: to bear sway.
to bear authority;
to bear sway.
verb (used without object)
bore,
bare,
borne,
born,
bearing
-
to tend in a course or direction; move; go: to bear left at the fork in the road.
to bear west;
to bear left at the fork in the road.
-
to be located or situated.
The lighthouse bears due north.
-
to bring forth young or fruit.
Next year the tree will bear.
verb phrase
-
bear with to be patient or forbearing with.
Please bear with me until I finish the story.
-
bear down on / upon
-
to press or weigh down on.
-
to strive toward.
-
to approach something rapidly.
-
Nautical. to approach (another vessel) from windward.
The sloop bore down on us, narrowly missing our stern.
-
-
bear up to endure; face hardship bravely.
It is inspiring to see them bearing up so well.
-
bear out to substantiate; confirm.
The facts bear me out.
-
bear off
-
Nautical. to keep (a boat) from touching or rubbing against a dock, another boat, etc.
-
Nautical. to steer away.
-
Backgammon. to remove the stones from the board after they are all home.
-
-
bear on / upon to affect, relate to, or have connection with; be relevant to.
This information may bear on the case.
-
bear down
-
to press or weigh down.
-
to strive harder; intensify one's efforts.
We can't hope to finish unless everyone bears down.
-
Nautical. to approach from windward, as a ship.
The cutter was bearing down the channel at twelve knots.
-
idioms
-
bear false witness. see bear false witness.
-
bring to bear, to concentrate on with a specific purpose.
Pressure was brought to bear on those with overdue accounts.
-
bear witness. see bear witness.
bear
2
American
[bair]
/ bษษr /
noun
-
bears,
plural
-
bear
plural
-
any of the plantigrade, carnivorous or omnivorous mammals of the family Ursidae, having massive bodies, coarse heavy fur, relatively short limbs, and almost rudimentary tails.
-
any of various animals resembling the bear, as the ant bear.
-
a gruff, burly, clumsy, bad-mannered, or rude person.
-
a person who believes that market prices, especially of stocks, will decline (opposed to bull).
-
Informal. a person who shows great ability, enthusiasm, stamina, etc..
a bear for physics.
-
Astronomy. Bear, either of two constellations, Ursa Major or Ursa Minor.
-
Informal. a player at cards who rarely bluffs.
-
Bear. Russia.
adjective
verb (used with object)
beared,
bearing
idioms
Bear
3
American
[bair]
/ bษษr /
noun
bear
1
British
/ bษษ /
verb
-
to support or hold up; sustain
-
to bring or convey
to bear gifts
-
to take, accept, or assume the responsibility of
to bear an expense
-
(past participle bornin passive use except when foll by by) to give birth to
to bear children
-
(also intr) to produce by or as if by natural growth
to bear fruit
-
to tolerate or endure
she couldn't bear him
-
to admit of; sustain
his story does not bear scrutiny
-
to hold in the conscious mind or in one's feelings
to bear a grudge
I'll bear that idea in mind
-
to show or be marked with
he still bears the scars
-
to transmit or spread
to bear gossip
-
to render or supply (esp in the phrase bear witness )
-
to conduct or manage (oneself, the body, etc)
she bore her head high
-
to have, be, or stand in (relation or comparison)
his account bears no relation to the facts
-
(intr) to move, be located, or lie in a specified direction
the way bears east
-
to have by right; be entitled to (esp in the phrase bear title )
-
to give assistance
-
to bring into operation or effect
he brought his knowledge to bear on the situation
bear
2
British
/ bษษ /
noun
-
any plantigrade mammal of the family Ursidae : order Carnivora (carnivores). Bears are typically massive omnivorous animals with a large head, a long shaggy coat, and strong claws See also black bear brown bear polar bear
-
any of various bearlike animals, such as the koala and the ant bear
-
a clumsy, churlish, or ill-mannered person
-
a teddy bear
-
stock exchange
-
a speculator who sells in anticipation of falling prices to make a profit on repurchase
-
( as modifier ) Compare bull 1
a bear market
-
verb
Bear
3
British
/ bษษ /
noun
-
the English name for Ursa Major Ursa Minor
-
an informal name for Russia
bear
More Idioms
Usage
Whatโs the difference between bear and bare? As a verb, bear commonly means to endure something negative (as in I canโt bear to watch) or to carry, hold up, or support (as in The roof canโt bear that much weight), while as a noun it refers to the big furry animal (like grizzly bears and polar bears). Bare can be an adjective that means uncovered (as in bare feet) or empty or without the usual contents (as in bare cabinets or bare walls), or a verb meaning to reveal or open to view (as in bare your secrets). Bare is most commonly used as an adjective, usually involving something uncovered or empty. As a verb, bear is often used in the context of holding or carrying things, including in literal, physical ways (as in bear a load or bear weight) and in figurative ones (as in bear a grudge). To remember the difference in spelling, remember that bears have ears, and they are able to bear a lot of weight because of how big and strong they are, but they are never bare because they are covered in fur. Hereโs an example of bear and bare used correctly in a sentence. Example: Why does the bear never wear shoes? Because he prefers bare feet. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between bear and bare.
Commonly Confused
Since the latter part of the 18th century, a distinction has been made between born and borne as past participles of the verb bear1 . Borne is the past participle in all senses that do not refer to physical birth: The wheatfields have borne abundantly this year. Judges have always borne a burden of responsibility. Borne is also the participle when the sense is โto bring forth (young)โ and the focus is on the mother rather than on the child. In such cases, borne is preceded by a form of have or followed by by: Anna had borne a son the previous year. Two children borne by her earlier were already grown. When the focus is on the offspring or on something brought forth as if by birth, born is the standard spelling, and it occurs only in passive constructions: My friend was born in Ohio. No children have been born at the South Pole. A strange desire was born of the tragic experience. Born is also an adjective meaning โby birth,โ โinnate,โ or โnativeโ: born free; a born troublemaker; Mexican-born.
Synonym Usage
Bear, stand, endure refer to supporting the burden of something distressing, irksome, or painful. Bear and stand are close synonyms and have a general sense of withstanding: to bear a disappointment well; to stand a loss. Endure implies continued resistance and patience in bearing through a long time: to endure torture.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of bear1
First recorded before 900; Middle English beren, Old English beran; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German beran, Dutch baren, Old Frisian, Old Norse bera, Gothic bairan, German (ge)bรคren, Russian berรซt โ(he) takes,โ Albanian bie, Tocharian pรคr-, Phrygian ab-beret โ(he) brings,โ Latin ferre, Old Irish berid โ(he) carries,โ Armenian berem, Greek phรฉrein, Sanskrit bhรกrati, Avestan baraiti; from Indo-European bher- ( see -fer, -phore)
Origin of bear2
First recorded before 1000; Middle English bere, beare, beor(e), Old English bera; cognate with Frisian bฤr, Dutch beer, Old High German bero, German Bรคr; from Proto-Germanic beran- literally, โthe brown oneโ; akin to Old Norse bjวซrn, bersi; compare Lithuanian beฬฬras โbrownโ; cf. bruin
Explanation
To bear is to carry or endure, whether by physical or mental force. If you can bear to read on, you'll find out all the different ways to use the word bear. Obviously you know the big hairy mountain-roaming animal, but you might not have heard about a bear on Wall Street โ an investor who is pessimistic about the market. In its verb form, bear is rooted in the Old English beran, meaning โto bring forth, sustain, endureโ and more. So you can bear (or carry) a grudge. You can bear (or give birth to) children. Or you can bear (or stand) to listen to your great aunt tell the same story for the umpteenth time if you have a kind soul.
Vocabulary lists containing bear
ACT Vocabulary List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com โ one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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"The Banana Tree," Vocabulary from the short story
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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.
See Examples For:
“If all the spending that we’re seeing on AI infrastructure is going to bear fruit and be productive, it’s going to have to generate profits outside of just the manufacturers of the equipment,” Rinehart said.
From MarketWatch โ Sep. 14, 2026
Thomas said the possibility of having to leave her son, grandchildren, friends and husband's grave has become too much to bear.
From BBC โ Sep. 8, 2026
Much like a bear hibernating through difficult conditions, these cells can remain inactive until the environment becomes more favorable.
From Science Daily โ Sep. 6, 2026
Sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes, the bear, he eats you.
From Los Angeles Times โ Sep. 5, 2026
From the sound of it, the human children had traveled two hundred bear paces westward.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Reiner, who died last December, received a posthumous Emmy last week for his guest appearance in The Bear.
From BBC โ Sep. 15, 2026
Other highlights from the Emmy pre-ceremonies were a posthumous award for Rob Reiner for best guest actor in a comedy for "The Bear," and seven prizes for Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show.
From Barron's โ Sep. 12, 2026
The kind of groove your tires make driving to Big Bear in December without chains: an icy trench filled with frustration, exhaustion and everyday sludge.
From Los Angeles Times โ Sep. 11, 2026
Edgar Kaufmann Sr. wanted to build a new weekend house for his property at Bear Run, a densely wooded site without dramatic vistas.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Aug. 28, 2026
That Sunday afternoon of January 28, at The Gun Store in Las Vegas, it wasn’t hard to spot the Bear Stearns CDO salesmen.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Smith makes treats like Skittles, gummy bears and pasta festooned with marigold petals, narrating each step in a baby-soft voice while wearing dreamy fits.
From Salon โ Sep. 12, 2026
Bulls and bears remain entrenched in their robo-taxi opinions.
From Barron's โ Sep. 8, 2026
Bihar bears the greatest burden, but Uttar Pradesh is a significant and often overlooked part of the risk.
From BBC โ Sep. 3, 2026
The original 1930s factory building in town bears marks of shrapnel from World War II, retained as a reminder of Volkswagen’s Nazi origins.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 2, 2026
Pointed out to the tourists all the red foxes and orcas and grizzly bears that were pushing out native species because it was warm enough for the new animals to live here now.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
Games run well - really the bare minimum considering the price tag - and it's easy enough to use.
From BBC โ Sep. 14, 2026
But rather than Benn leaving with his mission accomplished, Ryan Garcia laid bare the unforgiving reality of elite-level boxing, taking just two rounds to dismantle, drop and stop the 29-year-old.
From BBC โ Sep. 13, 2026
Big cheers to Chelsea Handler for taking up a travel etiquette cause we can probably all agree on: bare feet on planes.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 11, 2026
Its bare bones prose and electrifying pictures preserve, honor and celebrate the people, places and ideas responsible for Rosales’ sentimental education.
From Los Angeles Times โ Sep. 9, 2026
I stared at his hand, imagining taking it again, my wool mittens in his bare fingers.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
“He just beared down and made pitches when he needed to,” manager Dave Roberts said, “versus feeling it with the mechanics or being uncertain.”
From Los Angeles Times โ Jun. 28, 2026
“The guys put their mind to it and beared down. Kind of: ‘Enough’s enough,’” Reid said.
From Seattle Times โ Oct. 17, 2021
“We had a couple of opportunities to strike when we had some baserunners on. It seems like when we got to those positions, that’s when their guys beared down and made some pitches.”
From Washington Times โ Oct. 9, 2020
Wrestling fans around the world beared witness to some of the most iconic moments in WWE history at Sunday night’s edition of WrestleMania.
From Fox News โ Apr. 8, 2019
After a hesitation, he turned back to Kira and said in a low voice, ‘‘I beared them talking.
From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry
Vera Bradley’s VRA 29.44%increase; green up pointing triangle turnaround is bearing fruit, Chief Executive Ian Bickley said, pointing to the company’s continued sales growth and strong back-to-school season.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 15, 2026
On the campaign trail, Siegmund -- a former entrepreneur with a sharp undercut hairstyle and a huge social media following -- has been mobbed by adoring fans, many wearing T-shirts bearing his likeness.
From Barron's โ Sep. 6, 2026
The commission said that decisions over the next few months would have a "significant bearing" on the council's future financial sustainability.
From BBC โ Sep. 3, 2026
She ate alongside her employees, who were almost all decked out in black slacks and pink polo shirts bearing her firm’s name and its hummingbird logo.
From Los Angeles Times โ Sep. 3, 2026
Next day the companions crossed the River Ystrad and began bearing northward.
From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander
Semiconductor stocks bore the brunt of the statements.
From Los Angeles Times โ Sep. 14, 2026
She bore a large scar on her face when she met with AFP at her home in Bethlehem, holding a stuffed fox that had belonged to her son.
From Barron's โ Aug. 30, 2026
While in the field, we encountered bore holes from bauxite mining exploration.
From Science Daily โ Aug. 28, 2026
Ms. Cusk seems similarly trapped, as well, in a novelistic form that appears to bore her but which she is unwilling to disavow.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Aug. 18, 2026
He was a printing veteran whose hands bore the scars of the clunky outdated presses, several fingers misshapen from old fractures and curled inward like claws.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Although Benjamin Disraeli - prime minister in the late-1800s - was born to a Jewish family, his father renounced Judaism and had his children baptised into the Church of England.
From BBC โ Sep. 15, 2026
Mackie, born in Monterey Park, was a decorated costume designer who won several Emmy Awards for costume design and a Tony Award.
From Los Angeles Times โ Sep. 14, 2026
Among UK participants, people born between 1965 and 1974 had systemic aging that was 23% of one standard deviation higher than people born between 1950 and 1954, even after chronological age was taken into account.
From Science Daily โ Sep. 14, 2026
This cohort seemed, to borrow from the Paul Simon song, to be born at the right time: AI turbocharged revenue growth and attracted deep-pocketed investors.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 14, 2026
“And he’s got fur. When he was first born he was almost bald and he couldn’t open his eyes or walk or anything.”
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
Benin's efforts have already borne fruit after it introduced a policy based on building new, modern markets and reorganising large commercial areas.
From Barron's โ Sep. 9, 2026
The higher costs such as tariffs are borne by consumers.
From MarketWatch โ Sep. 4, 2026
While the price that will be borne by these people and their families may be unimaginable, the communities they leave behind in the U.S. are affected as well.
From Salon โ Sep. 3, 2026
This means many of the losses incurred in the attacks have been borne by those businesses.
From BBC โ Aug. 24, 2026
As Frodo was borne towards them the great pillars rose like towers to meet him.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, ยฉ Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritageยฎ Idioms Dictionary copyright ยฉ 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
