bear

noun, often attributive \ ˈber \

Updated on: 8 Dec 2017

Definition of bear

plural bears

1 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

2 : a surly, uncouth, burly, or shambling person

a tall, friendly bear of a man

[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 : something difficult to do or deal with

the oven is a bear to clean

—

bearlike

play \-ˌlīk\ adjective

See bear defined for English-language learners

See bear defined for kids

Examples of bear in a Sentence

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
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
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
a mother bear and her cubs
The bears outnumbered the bulls on Wall Street today.

Recent Examples of bear from the Web

We were told we didn’t need to worry about bears on the 26.2-mile course.

— andrew w. lehren, New York Times, "How I Helped a Blind Marathoner Reach the Podium, Above the Arctic Circle," 3 Nov. 2017
County officials have suggestions on how residents can avoid potential conflicts with bears.

— jerry fallstrom, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Lake County begins distributing 840 bear-resistant trash cans," 19 Oct. 2017
There is so much salmon in and around the bay that humans and bears can catch their respective limits and not get in each other's way.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "Yet Another Environmental Disaster-in-Waiting," 16 Oct. 2017
For decades, researchers have struggled to chart the evolution of bears.

— gemma tarlach, Discover Magazine, "20 Things You Didn't Know About ... Bears," 10 Nov. 2017
The furry bear gave the Duchess a kiss on the hand, before having a little dance.

— hanna ibraheem, Good Housekeeping, "Kate Middleton Makes a Surprise Appearance With a New Lob Haircut," 17 Oct. 2017
The mother of two was spotted stopping by a gas station last night for a bag of gummy bears after going out to dinner with friends.

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "This Is What Kim Kardashian Wears for a Late-Night Snack Run," 11 Oct. 2017
Rangers spent Monday setting up traps and searching for the bear.

— CBS News, "Bear attack prompts officials to close hiking trails in Virginia park," 21 Sep. 2017
Wildlife sightings—of bear, elk, moose, wolves, coyotes, and the occasional Big Horn sheep—begin a hundred yards from the airport.

— vicky lowry, ELLE Decor, "ELLE DECOR Goes to Jackson Hole," 6 July 2011

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bear.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of bear

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

bear Synonyms

Synonyms

chore, beast, headache, job, killer, labor

Related Words

drudgery, grind, heavy lifting, lucubration; effort, strain, sweat; burden, load, weight; bother, nuisance, trouble

Near Antonyms

breeze, child's play, cinch, duck soup, kid stuff, setup, snap

Other Mammals Terms

dormouse, dugong, gibbon, grimalkin, sable, stoat, ungulate, vole

bear

verb \ ˈber \

Definition of bear

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

transitive verb

1 a : 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

b : to call for as suitable or essential

it bears watching

c : assume, accept

d : to support the weight of : sustain

e : to hold above, on top, or aloft

f : to admit of : allow

2 a : to move while holding up and supporting (something)

b : to have as a feature or characteristic

bears a likeness to her grandmother

c : to be equipped or furnished with (something)

d : to have as an identification

bore the name of John

e : to hold in the mind or emotions

bear malice

f : behave, conduct

bearing himself well

g : to give as testimony

bear false witness

h : disseminate

i : lead, escort

j : render, give

3 a : to give birth to

b : to produce as yield

c (1) : to permit growth of

(2) : contain

oil-bearing shale

4 : thrust, press

intransitive verb

1 a : to go or incline in an indicated direction

b : to extend in a direction indicated or implied

c : to be situated : lie

d : to become directed

e : to force one's way

2 a : apply, pertain —often used with on or upon

facts bearing on the question

b : to exert influence or force

3 : to produce fruit : yield

4 : to support a weight or strain —often used with up

— bear a hand

: to join in and help out

— bear arms

1 : to carry or possess arms

2 : to serve as a soldier

— bear fruit

: to come to satisfying fruition, production, or development : to produce a desired result or reward

— bear in mind

: to think of (something) especially as a warning : remember

— bear with

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

See bear defined for English-language learners

Examples of bear in a Sentence

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
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
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
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
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
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
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?

Recent Examples of bear from the Web

Although researchers have been synthesizing UDCA since 1955, bear bile and gallbladders remain a popular traditional medicine ingredient in East Asia.

— gemma tarlach, Discover Magazine, "20 Things You Didn't Know About ... Bears," 10 Nov. 2017
The son of a cigar-store owner, he was born in Baltimore and raised in El Paso, Texas.

— frank fitzpatrick, Philly.com, "The Phillies' first Jewish manager | Frank's Place," 5 Nov. 2017
Many parennials, accustomed to chronicling every fab appetizer and every failed job interview, give their children YouTube channels from the first sonogram and hashtags when they’re born.

— bruce feiler, New York Times, "App Time for Nap Time: The Parennials Are Here," 4 Nov. 2017
Between 1979 and 2015 the imbalance was aggravated by a one-child-per-couple policy, which prompted many to abort females before they were born.

— The Economist, "Bridal pathsDemand for wives in China endangers women who live on its borders," 4 Nov. 2017
She was born in South Boise in the 1930s and attended North Junior High.

— anna webb, idahostatesman, "An era will end when this Hyde Park business closes. Loyal workers will be its legacy," 3 Nov. 2017
There were just so many memories (at Southern Cal), my kid being born there, all those things.

— gentry estes, The Courier-Journal, "Look out, college football: Lane Kiffin is winning at Florida Atlantic and drawing attention doing it," 31 Oct. 2017
But perhaps the most fascinating—and beguiling—tale in Dylan’s long and storied career came when he was born again and converted to Christianity after seeing Jesus Christ in a hotel room in Tucson, Arizona in November 1978.

— jeff slate, Esquire, "When Bob Dylan Saw God," 30 Oct. 2017
But recently, the entire Islamic State project began going up in smoke almost as abruptly as it was born.

— victor davis hanson, National Review, "The Islamic State and the Limitations of Cruelty," 26 Oct. 2017

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 and Etymology of bear

Middle English beren to carry, bring forth, from Old English beran; akin to Old High German beran to carry, Latin ferre, Greek pherein

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

bear Synonyms

Synonyms

birth [chiefly dialect], deliver, drop, have, mother, produce, give birth to, live with, lump (it), stand for, tough (it) out

Antonyms

disavow, disclaim, disown, repudiate

Related Words

labor; breed, multiply, propagate, reproduce, spawn; beget, father, generate, get, sire; calve, kid, kindle, kitten, litter, pup, whelp

Near Antonyms

abort, lose, miscarry

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

Bear

geographical name \ ˈber \

Definition of Bear

river 350 miles (563 kilometers) long in northern Utah, southwestern Wyoming, and southeastern Idaho flowing to Great Salt Lake

Financial Definition of BEAR

bear

noun

What It Is

A bear has a negative outlook on the market (belief that the value of an asset or market will decrease).

How It Works

Investors generally fall into two mindsets: those with an optimistic outlook who foresee prosperity, called "bulls," and those with a pessimistic outlook who foresee decline, called "bears."

A bearish investor will alter their portfolio strategy by liquidating securities they believe are going to lose value in the foreseeable future. A bullish investor, on the other hand, believes securities will continue to rise and would continue to invest long in securities.

Depending on an investor's outlook, they could change from a bear to a bull or vice-versa.

Why It Matters

Market perceptions can affect securities prices depending on how many bulls or bears there are in the market. This is best expressed by the bull/bear ratio. In either case, bulls and bears can impact the direction of market movements as a result of the investments they make.

If you're having difficulties remembering the which animal describes what, just remember: A bull attacks by thrusting his horns in an upward movement, while a bear attacks by swiping his paw in a downward movement. Therefore, if the market goes up, it's a bull market; it the market trends down, it's a bear market.

For more details on the history of these words, read The Quirky And Brutal Origins Of The Terms 'Bear' And 'Bull.'

Source: Investing Answers

BEAR Defined for English Language Learners

bear

noun

Definition of bear for English Language Learners

: 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

bear

verb

Definition of bear for English Language Learners

: 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)

BEAR Defined for Kids

bear

noun \ ˈber \

Definition of bear for Students

plural bears

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

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

bear

verb

Definition of bear for Students

bore \ˈbȯr\; borne \ˈbȯrn\; bearing

1 : ¹support 1

bear weight

2 : to move while holding up and supporting : carry

They came bearing gifts.

3 : to hold in the mind

She bears a grudge.

4 : to put up with

I can't bear the suspense.

5 : to assume or accept

bear the blame

6 : to have as a feature or characteristic

She bears a resemblance to her sister.

7 : give birth to

bear children

8 : ¹produce 1

trees bearing fruit

bear interest

9 : to move or lie in the indicated direction

Bear right at the fork.

10 : to have a relation to the matter at hand

These facts don't bear on the question.

— bear down on

: to push or lean down on

Bear down hard on your pencil.

— bear in mind

: to think of especially as a warning

Bear in mind that you only get one chance.

— bear up

: to have strength or courage

She's bearing up under the stress.

— bear with

: to be patient with

Bear with me.

Medical Dictionary

bear

transitive verb \ ˈba(ə)r, ˈbe(ə)r \

medical Definition of bear

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

: to give birth to

Law Dictionary

bear

verb \ ˈbar \

legal Definition of bear

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

transitive verb

1 : to physically carry (as an object or message)

the right of the people to keep and bear arms
—U.S. Constitution amend. II

2 : yield

the stock will bear a dividend

3 a : to admit of : allow

whatever price the market will bear

b : assume, accept

you bear legal responsibility for him

intransitive verb

: to relate or have relevance

will admit evidence bearing on her defense

Learn More about bear

See words that rhyme with bear Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bear Spanish Central: Translation of bear Nglish: Translation of bear for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of bear for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bear

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up bear? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

bear

Definition of bear

bearlike

Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd

Examples of bear in a Sentence

Recent Examples of bear from the Web

Origin and Etymology of bear

bear Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Mammals Terms

bear

Definition of bear

Examples of bear in a Sentence

Recent Examples of bear from the Web

Usage Note on bear

Origin and Etymology of bear

bear Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of bear

Bear

Definition of Bear

Financial Definition of BEAR

What It Is

How It Works

Why It Matters

BEAR Defined for English Language Learners

bear

Definition of bear for English Language Learners

bear

Definition of bear for English Language Learners

BEAR Defined for Kids

bear

Definition of bear for Students

bear

Definition of bear for Students

Medical Dictionary

bear

medical Definition of bear

Law Dictionary

bear

legal Definition of bear

Learn More about bear

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Trending: Franks Resigns Amid 'Surrogacy' Scandal

'Wreck' and 'Reckless': Accidents Happen

Intact Latin Quiz

It's a Living: Last Names That Started as Jobs

Words of the Year: 1066