| Bear (bâr), Mount A peak, 4,523.5 m (14,831 ft) high, in the Wrangell Mountains of southern Alaska near the British Columbia border. |
| bear 1 (bâr) v. bore (bôr, b  r), borne (bôrn, brn) or born (bôrn), bear·ing, bears v.tr. 1. To hold up; support. 2. To carry from one place to another; transport. 3. To carry in the mind; harbor: bear a grudge. 4. To transmit at large; relate: bearing glad tidings. 5. To have as a visible characteristic: bore a scar on the left arm. 6. To have as a quality; exhibit: "A thousand different shapes it bears" (Abraham Cowley). 7. To carry (oneself) in a specified way; conduct: She bore herself with dignity. 8. To be accountable for; assume: bearing heavy responsibilities. 9. To have a tolerance for; endure: couldn't bear his lying. 10. To call for; warrant: This case bears investigation. 11. To give birth to: bore six children in five years. 12. To produce; yield: plants bearing flowers. 13. To offer; render: I will bear witness to the deed. 14. To move by or as if by steady pressure; push: "boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (F. Scott Fitzgerald). v.intr. Phrasal Verbs: 1. To yield fruit; produce: peach trees that bear every summer. 2. To have relevance; apply: They studied the ways in which the relativity theory bears on the history of science. 3. To exert pressure, force, or influence. 4. a. To force oneself along; forge. b. To endure something with tolerance and patience: Bear with me while I explain matters. 5. To extend or proceed in a specified direction: The road bears to the right at the bottom of the hill. bear down 1. To advance in a threatening manner: The ship bore down on our canoe. 2. To apply maximum effort and concentration: If you really bear down, you will finish the task. bear out To prove right or justified; confirm: The test results bear out our claims. bear up Idioms: To withstand stress, difficulty, or attrition: The patient bore up well during the long illness. bear down on To effect in a harmful or adverse way: Financial pressures are bearing down on them. bear fruit To come to a satisfactory conclusion or to fruition. bear in mind To hold in one's mind; remember: Bear in mind that bridges freeze before roads. [Middle English beren, from Old English beran; see bher-1 in Indo-European roots.] Synonyms: bear1, endure, stand, abide, suffer, tolerate These verbs mean to withstand something difficult or painful. Bear pertains broadly to the capacity to withstand: "Those best can bear reproof who merit praise" (Alexander Pope). Endure specifies a continuing capacity to face pain or hardship: "Human life is everywhere a state in which much is to be endured and little to be enjoyed" (Samuel Johnson). Stand implies resoluteness of spirit: Actors who can't stand criticism shouldn't perform in public. Abide and suffer suggest the capacity to withstand patiently: She couldn't abide fools. He suffered their insults in silence. Tolerate, when applied to something other than pain, connotes reluctant acceptance: "A decent . . . examination of the acts of government should be not only tolerated, but encouraged" (William Henry Harrison). See Also Synonyms at convey, produce. Usage Note: Thanks to the vagaries of English spelling, bear has two past participles: born and borne. Traditionally, born is used only in passive constructions referring to birth: I was born in Chicago. For all other uses, including active constructions referring to birth, borne is the standard form: She has borne both her children at home. I have borne his insolence with the patience of a saint. |
| bear 2 (bâr) n. 1. a. Any of various usually omnivorous mammals of the family Ursidae that have a shaggy coat and a short tail and walk with the entire lower surface of the foot touching the ground. b. Any of various other animals, such as the koala, that resemble a true bear. 2. A large, clumsy, or ill-mannered person. 3. a. One, such as an investor, that sells securities or commodities in expectation of falling prices. b. A pessimist, especially regarding business conditions. 4. Slang Something that is difficult or unpleasant: The final exam was a bear. 5. Slang A highway patrol officer. adj. Characterized by falling prices: a bear market. [Middle English bere, from Old English bera; see bher-2 in Indo-European roots. Sense 3, probably from proverb To sell the bear's skin before catching the bear.] |
bear down
vb (intr, adverb; often foll by on or upon)
1. to press or weigh down
2. to approach in a determined or threatening manner
3. (Transport / Nautical Terms) (of a vessel) to make an approach (to another vessel, obstacle, etc.) from windward
4. (Medicine / Gynaecology & Obstetrics) (of a woman during childbirth) to exert a voluntary muscular pressure to assist delivery
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Verb | 1. | bear down - exert a force with a heavy weight; "The snow bore down on the roof" press - exert pressure or force to or upon; "He pressed down on the boards"; "press your thumb on this spot" |
| 2. | bear down - contract the abdominal muscles during childbirth to ease delivery | |
| 3. | bear down - to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle; "he saw Jess charging at him with a pitchfork" rush - attack suddenly | |
| 4. | bear down - exert full strength; "The pitcher bore down" baseball, baseball game - a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs; "he played baseball in high school"; "there was a baseball game on every empty lot"; "there was a desire for National League ball in the area"; "play ball!" | |
| 5. | bear down - pay special attention to; "The lectures bore down on the political background" | |
| 6. | bear down - exert a force or cause a strain upon; "This tax bears down on the lower middle class" |
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