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.

See Examples For:

bear market

“I worry about healthcare, long-term care, inflation, a long bear market and living to 95.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

That bubble popped in early 2000, leading to an eight-month recession in 2001 and a three-year bear market.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

The percentage of respondents expecting “boom” conditions—above trend growth and inflation—was the highest since Feb. 2022, the starting point for the last bear market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

On the flip side, Belgium at $725 billion and Ireland at $714 billion would be economies he could fall behind if the Musk industrial complex fell into a bear market.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

Truth is, Mr. Welborn, I'm not posted on the bear market.

From David Lannarck, Midget An Adventure Story by George S. Harney

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023