bear

SayBAIR/bɛəɹ/UK/bɛə/

Pluralbears

Verbbears, bearing, bore, borne

Often confused with bare

42 meanings of bear

Practice

1
animalnouncountable or uncountable
A big, heavy wild animal with thick fur and a very short tail, or its meat.
A bear wandered into the campsite looking for food.
Grizzly bears can weigh several hundred pounds and run surprisingly fast.
UsageBear the animal sounds like bare, meaning with no clothes.
2
show a markverbtransitive
To have or show a particular mark or feature.
Like a shirt that has a small logo on the front.
The old coin bears the face of a king.
Each box should bear a clear label on its side.
UsageSay the box bears a label. In the past, it bore a label.
Similarcarry, have, show, display
Note
3
put up withverbtransitive
To put up with something difficult or unpleasant.
Like carrying a heavy bag for a long way without setting it down.
I can't bear the noise from the construction next door.
She bore the long wait without complaining once.
UsageSay I can't bear it. Bear with me means please be patient with me.
Similarendure, tolerate, stand, take, abide
4
verbtransitive
To keep a feeling or idea in your mind.
Like keeping a small stone in your pocket that you never take out.
She still bears a grudge against her old boss.
I don't bear him any ill will for what happened.
UsageBear in mind means remember. Say she bears a grudge.
Similarharbor, hold, feel, nurse
Note
5
verbtransitive
To carry something, or take it from one place to another.
Like a truck taking boxes from an old house to a new one.
The waiter bore a tray full of glasses across the crowded room.
At the parade, my little sister was chosen to bear the school flag.
UsagePast forms are bore and borne. Most people say carry.
Similarcarry, convey, bring
Note
6
responsibilityverbtransitive
To take on the blame, cost, or duty for something.
Like carrying a heavy bag that nobody else will hold for you.
She had to bear the cost of the repairs herself.
He bore the blame for the whole team's mistake.
UsageSay she bore the cost of the repairs.
Similarmeet
Oppositeshirk, evade
Note
7
produce fruitverbtransitive or intransitive
To produce something, such as fruit, crops, or interest on money.
Like a hen giving eggs, a tree gives us fruit.
Apple trees bear fruit in the fall.
Our young pear tree is still too small to bear any fruit.
UsageTrees bear fruit. A plan that bears fruit works out.
Similarproduce, yield
Note
8
have effectverbfigurativelyintransitive
To have an effect on something, or to be important to it.
These new facts bear on the final decision.
How does this rule bear on our case?
UsageSay this bears on our case, meaning it matters for it.
Similarimpinge
Note
9
give proofverbtransitive
To give proof of something, or to speak about what you saw or know.
Like a photo that shows something really happened.
Several people came forward to bear witness to the crime.
The empty shelves bear witness to how fast the new toy sold out.
UsageThe empty shelves bear witness to big sales.
Note
10
verbtransitive
Of a thing, to have a certain link to something else, or to be like it in some way.
These numbers don't bear any relation to what we really spent.
The movie bears little resemblance to the book.
UsageSay the movie bears little resemblance to the book.
Similarhave, show
11
give birthverbtransitive
To give birth to a baby or young.
She bore three children before she turned thirty.
Many mammals bear live young instead of laying eggs.
UsageSay I was born in May (not ~~incorrect: I am born~~).
Similarhave, produce, deliver, birth
12
hold upverbtransitive
To hold something up so it does not fall.
Like a strong table holding up everything placed on it.
Strong beams bear the weight of the roof.
These columns bore the entire upper floor.
UsageSay the beams bear the weight of the roof.
Similarsupport, carry, hold, sustain, take
13
investornouncountable or uncountable
Someone who sells stocks because they think prices will drop.
Like a seller who clears out his shelves now because he expects the goods to be worth less later.
A bear expects share prices to fall in the coming weeks.
As a bear, he sold his stocks well before the market crashed.
Oppositebull
Note
14
falling pricesadjective
Showing that prices are going down or are expected to fall.
Like weather that keeps getting colder, with no warm days in sight.
A bear market can wipe out months of investment gains.
During the bear market, my dad stopped checking his retirement account.
UsageUse bear before a noun: a bear market. The opposite is a bull market.
Similarbearish
Oppositebull, bullish
Note

Less common meanings

15
directionverbintransitive
To go or point in a certain direction.
Like turning the way a road sign tells you to go.
Bear left at the next fork in the road.
The path bears north toward the lake.
UsageBear left means go a little to the left.
Similarveer, turn, keep, curve, head
Note
16
tough tasknouncolloquialUScountable or uncountable
Something that is hard to do or deal with.
Like a chore so hard it feels like a fight.
That math test was a real bear.
Cleaning the whole garage is such a bear.
UsageSay the test was a real bear.
Similarpain, nightmare, headache, chore, drag
Oppositebreeze, cinch, doddle
17
pushverbintransitivewith on
To push or press hard against something.
Like pushing hard on a stuck door with your shoulder.
He bore down on the lever with all his weight.
Bear down on the suitcase lid while I zip it shut.
UsageSay bear down on the lid.
Similarpress, push, lean, thrust
Note
18
call forverbtransitive
To need or be worth some action, like being watched or said again.
These young plants bear watching for signs of bugs.
That point bears repeating.
UsageSay that bears repeating, meaning it is worth saying again.
Similarmerit, deserve, warrant
Note
19
hairy mannounslangcountable or uncountable
A large, hairy man, especially a gay man.
Tom is a big, hairy gay man, and he proudly calls himself a bear.
At the Pride parade, a group of bears with full beards and leather vests marched together.
Oppositetwink
Note
20
nouncountable
A soft toy that looks like a bear, especially a teddy bear.
My little brother sleeps with his bear every night.
She won a giant pink bear at the fair.
Similarteddy
21
behaveverbreflexivetransitive
To act or behave in a certain way.
She bears herself with great confidence.
The young soldiers bear themselves proudly.
UsageSay he bore himself with dignity.
Similarcarry, conduct, comport, hold
Note
22
verbtransitive
To have a certain reputation, name, or worth.
Similarcarry, command, hold, have
23
verbtransitive
To allow a certain meaning, or to stand up to something without breaking.
The poem can bear more than one meaning.
These boots can bear years of hard use and still look new.
UsageSay the poem can bear more than one meaning.
Similarwithstand, survive, admit, allow
Note
24
rude personnounfigurativelycountable or uncountable
A rude person with rough, bad manners.
Like a grumpy animal that growls when bothered.
Her uncle is a real bear when he wakes up early.
Don't be such a bear to the new kid.
Similargrouch, grump, boor, brute
25
verbtransitive
To give or provide something to someone, such as company, or to be something for them.
UsageSay her dog bears her company.
Similarkeep
Note
26
nounslangUS
A police officer who patrols highways, in truck drivers' radio talk.
27
nounAustralia
A koala, the Australian animal that lives in trees.
28
noun
A small machine you can carry that makes holes in metal.
29
noun
A heavy block with a rough cover, used to scrub a ship's floor.
30
noun
The card with a bear on it in a Lenormand fortune-telling deck.
31
verb
To try to make the price of shares or goods go down.
32
verbrare
To carry a baby inside the body before it is born.
33
verb
To show a symbol on your coat of arms or shield, or have the right to use it.
34
verb
To have a part such as horns or wings on the body.
35
verbrare
To feel respect or loyalty toward someone or something and let it show.
36
verbrare
To have power, or to hold an important job or rank.
Every man should bear rule in his own house.
1611, The Holy Bible, King James Version
37
verbobsolete
To carry heavy things.
38
verbobsolete
To take a person with you somewhere.
Bear them to my house.
c. 1594, William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”
39
verb
Of a gun, to be pointed at something.
40
verbobsolete
To win a prize.
Some think to bear it by speaking a great word.
1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Seeming Wise”
41
noun
Another way to spell bere, a kind of barley.
42
noun
An old word for a pillow cover.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of bear apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1, 13–14, 16, 19–20, 24

The name of the animal comes from Old English 'bera'. It likely goes back to an old root meaning 'brown'.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

The animal name descends from Old English bera. en.wiktionary.org
A root meaning 'brown' is the conventional, though disputed, explanation of its deeper origin. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 2–12, 15, 17–18, 21–23, 25

This comes from Old English 'beran', meaning 'to carry or bring'.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

The verb derives from Old English beran, meaning 'to carry or bring'. en.wiktionary.org