or plural bear: any of a family (Ursidae of the order Carnivora) of large heavy mammals of America and Eurasia that have long shaggy hair, rudimentary tails, and plantigrade feet and feed largely on fruit, plant matter, and insects as well as on flesh
[probably from the proverb about selling the bearskin before catching the bear]: one that sells securities or commodities in expectation of a price decline compare bull
bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking.
forced to bear a tragic loss
suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing.
suffering many insults
endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties.
endured years of rejection
abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest.
cannot abide their rudeness
tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful.
refused to tolerate such treatment
stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching.
unable to stand teasing
Example Sentences
NounTraffic in Knoxville, Tennessee, can be a bear anytime, but in late spring the slowdowns on Neyland Drive are often caused by Canada geese. Joelle Anthony, Audubon, November-December 2004True, the rally has been around the corner since Memorial Day. But bears have dominated market sentiment for so long since the Federal Reserve Board raised interest rates last February, that traders feel the market is headed for a major tectonic shift … Anthony Ramirez, New York Times, 19 July 1994Hikers in the woods are far more likely to wear a bell to deter bears than to take precautions against bees. But bears kill two to seven people in North America annually, bee stings kill 600 to 900. Allan J. Davison, Chemical & Engineering News, 15 Mar. 1993 a mother bear and her cubs The bears outnumbered the bulls on Wall Street today. VerbA stone slab bearing 3,000-year-old writing previously unknown to scholars has been found in the Mexican state of Veracruz, and archaeologists say it is an example of the oldest script ever discovered in the Western Hemisphere. John Noble Wilford, New York Times, 15 Sept. 2006Large public buildings often bear only a loose resemblance to what was originally in the minds of the architects who designed them. Things get cut back to save money; somebody has second thoughts about the way part of the building will function; it takes so long to get public approval that the original idea starts to seem dated … Paul Goldberger, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2002The most famous work of Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), of course, was purifying milk with the process that now bears his name. Brendan Miniter, American Enterprise, September/October 1998In so-called parking schemes, securities aren't carried on the books of the true owner but are temporarily sold to someone else with the understanding that the seller will continue to bear any risk of loss and reap any profits. James B. Stewart, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 1993As a science fiction buff, many years ago, I remember being particularly fascinated by tales of genetic surgery. Imagine the surgeon … peering through the electron microscope, repairing the sickle-cell gene and returning the ovum to its mother, who would then bear a normal child. Richard Novick, New York Times Book Review, 15 Feb. 1987The sight of Niña already there, snugged down as if she had been at home a month, finished Martín Alonso Pinzón. Older than Columbus, ill from the hardships of the voyage, mortified by his snub from the Sovereigns, he could bear no more. Samuel Eliot Morison, The European Discovery of America, 1974 a symphony that can bear comparison with Beethoven's best The company agreed to bear the costs. The criminals must bear full responsibility for the deaths of these innocent people. Who will bear the blame for this tragedy? See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The main characters narrowly escape a few dangerous situations, including a fire and an angry bear, as well as unknown forest terrain. Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2022 According to DeSantis, liberals in the People’s Republic of Massachusetts talk a good game, sticking up for undocumented immigrants with virtue-signaling rhetoric, while red states like his bear the cost and burden of taking care of them. Kevin Cullen, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Sep. 2022 Chris Perfetti is the sweet and sensitive Jacob Hill, and Lisa Ann Walter is the tough-as-nails mama bear Melissa Schemmenti. Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 12 Sep. 2022 Before the penultimate course was served, Baca told the crowd about its ingredients, which included blue corn and grits made from bear root, the first thing his grandfather taught him how to forage. Carolyn Kormann, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2022 The base of the kick through is another great core exercise, the bear plank. Brett Williams, Men's Health, 9 Sep. 2022 Also expressing his loss, the beloved U.K. bear Paddington, who recently appeared in a short with HRH. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Sep. 2022 And a high school student escaped a bear encounter. Samantha Murphy Kelly, CNN, 8 Sep. 2022 Each bear is filled with rice to replicate the weight of their baby. Megan Becka, cleveland, 7 Sep. 2022
Verb
Shell said where once 70% of football stadiums at the NCAA Division I level did not bear corporate names, now only about 30% are unnamed. Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 16 Sep. 2022 One possible explanation, offered in Science, is that a future variant could bear more resemblance to an earlier strain. Simar Bajaj, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Sep. 2022 New Orleans did more than poke the Tom Brady bear by completing a season sweep of Tampa Bay, 9-0, in December. Richard Morin, USA TODAY, 15 Sep. 2022 This is standard practice, and means that some mailboxes in the U.K. still bear the cypher of the Queen’s father, George VI. Chloe Taylor, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2022 This is gonna sound really gross, but bear with me. Allison Morrow, CNN, 8 Sep. 2022 Only Hemmer proposes that the Democratic Party might also bear some culpability for the transformation of the partisan landscape—which implies that an overhaul of moral and political vision is crucial. Kim Phillips-fein, The Atlantic, 6 Sep. 2022 Sources speculate Netflix’s request for proposals from ad buyers will function as a Dutch auction, with the company looking to see what the market will bear. Todd Spangler, Variety, 1 Sep. 2022 There are other parties that bear some responsibility. Linda Chase, Sun Sentinel, 30 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English bere, from Old English bera; akin to Old English brūn brown — more at brown
Verb
Middle English beren to carry, bring forth, from Old English beran; akin to Old High German beran to carry, Latin ferre, Greek pherein
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1