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noun, often attributive \ˈber\

Simple Definition of bear

  • : any one of a group of large and heavy animals that have thick hair and sharp claws and that can stand on two legs like a person

  • finance : a person who expects the price of stocks to go down and who sells them to avoid losing money

  • : something that is difficult to do or deal with

Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary

Full Definition of bear

plural bears


  2. 2 :  a surly, uncouth, burly, or shambling person <a tall, friendly bear of a man>

  3. 3 [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

  4. 4 :  something difficult to do or deal with <the oven is a bear to clean>

bearlike play \-ˌlīk\ adjective

Examples of bear in a sentence

  1. Traffic 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 2004

  2. True, 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 1994

  3. Hikers 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

  4. a mother bear and her cubs

  5. The bears outnumbered the bulls on Wall Street today.

Origin of bear

Middle English bere, from Old English bera; akin to Old English brūn brown — more at brown

First Known Use: before 12th century

Other Mammals Terms



verb \ˈber\

Simple Definition of bear

  • : to accept or endure (something) ( US )

  • : to be worthy of (something) : to deserve or allow (something)

  • : to assume or accept (something, such as cost or responsibility)

Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary

Full Definition of bear

bore play \ˈbȯr\ borne also born play \ˈbȯrn\ bearing

  1. transitive verb
  2. 1 a :  to move while holding up and supporting (something) b :  to be equipped or furnished with (something) c :  behave, conduct <bearing himself well> d :  to have as a feature or characteristic <bears a likeness to her grandmother> e :  to give as testimony <bear false witness> f :  to have as an identification <bore the name of John> g :  to hold in the mind or emotions <bear malice> h :  disseminate i :  lead, escort j :  render, give

  3. 2 a :  to give birth to b :  to produce as yield c (1) :  to permit growth of (2) :  contain <oil-bearing shale>

  4. 3 a :  to support the weight of :  sustain b :  to accept or allow oneself to be subjected to especially without giving way <couldn't bear the pain> <I can't bear seeing you cry> c :  to call for as suitable or essential <it bears watching> d :  to hold above, on top, or aloft e :  to admit of :  allow f :  assume, accept

  5. 4 :  thrust, press

  6. intransitive verb
  7. 1 :  to produce fruit :  yield

  8. 2 a :  to force one's way b :  to extend in a direction indicated or implied c :  to be situated :  lie d :  to become directed e :  to go or incline in an indicated direction

  9. 3 :  to support a weight or strain —often used with up

  10. 4 a :  to exert influence or force b :  apply, pertain —often used with on or upon <facts bearing on the question>

bear a hand
  1. :  to join in and help out

bear arms
  1. 1 :  to carry or possess arms

  2. 2 :  to serve as a soldier

bear fruit
  1. :  to come to satisfying fruition, production, or development :  to produce a desired result or reward

bear in mind
  1. :  to think of (something) especially as a warning :  remember

bear with
  1. :  to be indulgent, patient, or forbearing with (someone)

Examples of bear in a sentence

  1. A 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. 2006

  2. Large 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. 2002

  3. The 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 1998

  4. In 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. 1993

  5. As 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.1987

  6. The 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

  7. a symphony that can bear comparison with Beethoven's best

  8. The company agreed to bear the costs.

  9. The criminals must bear full responsibility for the deaths of these innocent people.

  10. Who will bear the blame for this tragedy?

Usage Note on bear

There is considerable confusion between the verbs bear and bare. It may help to remember that the verb bare has only one meaning: "to uncover," as in "bare your shoulders" and "a dog baring its teeth." All other uses of the verb are for bear: "bearing children," "the right to bear arms," "bearing up under the stress/weight," "can't bear the thought," "bear south," "it bears repeating."

There is occasional confusion between bear and bare in adjectival uses (as in "he rubbed his bear arms"), but bear is properly a noun and only used like an adjective in the financial phrase bear market. All other uses refer to the state of being uncovered or naked and should therefore be bare: "bare necessities," "bare essentials," "bare arms," "bare bones," "bare-knuckle," and so on.

Origin of bear


First Known Use: before 12th century

Synonym Discussion of bear

bear, suffer, endure, abide, tolerate, stand mean to put up with something trying or painful. 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>.


geographical name \ˈber\

Definition of Bear

  1. river 350 miles (563 kilometers) N Utah, SW Wyoming, & SE Idaho flowing to Great Salt Lake

BEAR Defined for Kids



noun \ˈber\

Definition of bear for Students

plural bears

  1. 1 or plural bear :  a large heavy mammal with long shaggy hair and a very short tail

  2. 2 :  a person resembling a bear in size or behavior <a large bear of a man> <He acted like a grumpy old bear.>




Definition of bear for Students

bore \ˈbȯr\borne \ˈbȯrn\bearing

  1. 1 :  1support 1 <bear weight>

  2. 2 :  to move while holding up and supporting :  carry <They came bearing gifts.>

  3. 3 :  to hold in the mind <She bears a grudge.>

  4. 4 :  to put up with <I can't bear the suspense.>

  5. 5 :  to assume or accept <bear the blame>

  6. 6 :  to have as a feature or characteristic <She bears a resemblance to her sister.>

  7. 7 :  give birth to <bear children>

  8. 8 :  1produce 1 <trees bearing fruit> <bear interest>

  9. 9 :  to move or lie in the indicated direction <Bear right at the fork.>

  10. 10 :  to have a relation to the matter at hand <These facts don't bear on the question.>

bear down on
  1. :  to push or lean down on <Bear down hard on your pencil.>

bear in mind
  1. :  to think of especially as a warning <Bear in mind that you only get one chance.>

bear up
  1. :  to have strength or courage <She's bearing up under the stress.>

bear with
  1. :  to be patient with <Bear with me.>

Medical Dictionary


transitive verb \ˈba(ə)r, ˈbe(ə)r\

Medical Definition of bear

bore \ˈbō(ə)r, ˈbȯ(ə)r\play ; borne \ˈbō(ə)rn, ˈbȯ(ə)rn\play also born \ˈbȯ(ə)rn\play ; bearing

  1. :  to give birth to

Law Dictionary


verb \ˈbar\

Legal Definition of bear

bore \ˈbōr\ play play borne \ˈbōrn\ also born

  1. transitive verb
  2. 1 :  to physically carry (as an object or message) <the right of the people to keep and bear arms — U.S. Constitution amend. II>

  3. 2 :  yield <the stock will bear a dividend>

  4. 3a :  to admit of :  allow <whatever price the market will bear> b :  assume, accept <you bear legal responsibility for him>

  5. intransitive verb
  6. :  to relate or have relevance <will admit evidence bearing on her defense>

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