bear
/beə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈɛr] /ber/ (ame, ipa) · [bˈɛr] /ˈber/ (ame, mw) · /beər/ (bre, ipa)
bear — verb
- bearpresent simple I / you / we / they
- bearshe / she / it
- borepast simple
- bornepast participle
- bearing-ing form
1. to accept and continue through something painful, difficult, or annoying, withou
to accept and continue through something painful, difficult, or annoying, without giving up or complaining too much.
Takeshi could not bear the thought of spending another winter in that tiny apartment.
can't bear + noun phrase for something emotionally painful
How do local families bear the noise from the construction site next to the school?
how + do/does + subject + bear + noun phrase
Yara bore the long illness with patience and never once complained to the hospital staff.
I cannot bear to watch those sad news reports about animals losing their homes.
Mei could not bear the dentist's drill, so the nurse gave her earplugs during the treatment.
- avoid
to stay away from what is unpleasant instead of dealing with it
文法句型
can't bear + -ing form
can't bear + to-infinitive
bear + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently used with can/could in negative sentences (cannot bear, could not bear) to express strong dislike or emotional distress. In positive statements it sounds formal or old-fashioned.
常見錯誤
2. to accept and carry the weight of a duty, cost, or blame that belongs to you.
to accept and carry the weight of a duty, cost, or blame that belongs to you.
The new parents had to bear all the medical costs for the baby's treatment.
bear + cost (collocation)
As team leader, Beatriz must bear the blame when a project does not go well for the group.
bear + the blame (collocation)
Each passenger in the taxi will bear a share of the fare for the ride to the airport.
Local farmers bear most of the responsibility for keeping the village roads clear of snow.
文法句型
bear + noun (cost/responsibility/blame)
bear + the + noun + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Common in formal or official contexts. The object is almost always an unpleasant duty or burden — you bear the cost, the blame, the responsibility, or the burden. Not used for enjoyable responsibilities.
常見錯誤
3. used to say that something is so bad or shocking that the mind refuses to imagin
used to say that something is so bad or shocking that the mind refuses to imagine what would happen if it were true.
The damage from the flood does not bear thinking about — whole villages were washed away.
does not bear thinking about (fixed expression)
What would happen to the wildlife if the lake dried up simply does not bear thinking of for the rangers.
The cost of rebuilding the old temple does not bear contemplation for the small community of villagers.
The consequences of a failed harvest do not bear thinking about for the farmers near Lake Nakuru.
- unimaginable
adjective; describes the result directly
- too awful to contemplate
phrase; more emphatic
文法句型
does not bear + thinking about
does not bear + thinking of
does not bear + contemplation
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the negative form 'does not bear thinking about/of'. This is a fixed expression, not a productive pattern. Distinguish from sense 1 (ENDURE PAIN) where the subject is a person, not an idea.
常見錯誤
4. to have something as a mark, feature, or feeling that stays with you over time —
to have something as a mark, feature, or feeling that stays with you over time — for example, carrying a grudge, sharing a family resemblance, or wearing a particular name or title.
Ada has always borne a strong resemblance to her grandmother, especially around the eyes.
bear + a resemblance to + person (collocation)
The letter still bears the original wax seal that the duke placed on it two hundred years ago.
bear + a mark/seal/sign (visible feature)
Vivek bore no ill will toward his former business partner after their company was sold.
Each room in the old hotel bears the name of a famous writer from the early twentieth century.
Bao still bears a scar on his knee from the bicycle accident he had when he was seven years old.
文法句型
bear + noun (resemblance/grudge/name/mark)
bear + no + noun
用法筆記
Unlike sense 2 (CARRY RESPONSIBILITY), here the thing carried is a characteristic, feeling, or visible mark — not a duty. The object can be positive (a resemblance, a title) or negative (a grudge, a scar). Formal or literary register.
常見錯誤
5. to hold something up from underneath or at the base so that it does not fall.
to hold something up from underneath or at the base so that it does not fall.
The wooden shelves along the kitchen wall can bear about twenty kilograms of canned food.
bear + weight/kilograms (measurement collocation)
A steel beam across the ceiling bears the weight of the entire roof above the classroom.
The ice on the pond was not thick enough to bear the weight of the children who wanted to skate.
Talia's suitcase handle broke because it could not bear the load of all the books she packed.
The old bridge will not bear the weight of heavy trucks anymore, so the town built a new one.
- collapse
the opposite action — to fall down
文法句型
bear + noun (weight/load)
be borne by + noun
用法筆記
Can be used literally (structures, surfaces, objects) or figuratively (a system bearing pressure). The passive form 'borne by' is common in technical contexts: 'The load is borne by four pillars.'
常見錯誤
6. to bring a child into the world through pregnancy and labour; or, for a plant or
to bring a child into the world through pregnancy and labour; or, for a plant or tree, to grow and yield flowers or fruit as its natural cycle.
Nadia bore three children during the 1990s and raised them in the same village.
bear + a child (formal, past tense: bore)
The apple tree in the backyard bore almost fifty kilograms of fruit this autumn for the family.
bore fruit (of a tree producing fruit)
Nikos's grandmother was born in a small mountain town in the year that the war ended,
The cherry trees along the river bank have not borne any flowers this spring because of the dry weather.
- give birth to
more common in everyday English; less formal
- deliver
medical term focused on the childbirth process
- produce
for plants and fruit
文法句型
bear + a child / son / daughter
bear fruit
be born (passive for birth)
用法筆記
For human birth, 'bear' is now formal or literary in English; in everyday conversation, 'give birth to' is much more common. The distinction between past participles is important: 'born' is used only for the moment of birth ('I was born in 1990'), while 'borne' is used for the act of carrying a child ('She has borne five children'). For plants, always use 'borne'.
常見錯誤
7. to hold something and take it from one place to another, especially when the obj
to hold something and take it from one place to another, especially when the object is heavy or needs careful handling.
Caio bore a heavy tray of drinks from the kitchen to the garden.
bear + direct object + to [destination]
The bride's younger sister bore the train of her wedding dress up the stairs.
Kasia bore a large basket of fruit on her head through the market.
Ancient Roman soldiers bore their shields and swords on long marches across Europe.
Dahlia bore the wounded soldier across the battlefield to reach the medical tent.
- drop
to let something fall from your hands
文法句型
bear + object + to/into/up/down [phrase]
用法筆記
More formal and literary than carry; often used in historical or ceremonial contexts.
常見錯誤
8. to turn or move in a specific direction while travelling, especially when follow
to turn or move in a specific direction while travelling, especially when following a road, path, or route.
When you reach the old church, bear left toward the river.
bear + left/right (direction adverb)
The path bears south after crossing the wooden bridge near the lake.
Noa told the group to bear right at the fork in the trail.
The road bears sharply to the east just past the old farmhouse.
After the gate, bear northwest along the fence line for about two hundred metres.
文法句型
bear + left/right/north/south
bear + to/toward + [direction]
用法筆記
Common in giving walking or driving directions, especially in British English.
9. to make a formal statement based on what you personally saw or heard, confirming
to make a formal statement based on what you personally saw or heard, confirming the truth of an event or fact.
Kabir agreed to bear witness in court about what he had overheard during the meeting.
bear witness + about [topic]
The witness bore testimony that she had seen the car leave the building around midnight.
bear testimony + that-clause
Several neighbours bore testimony that the noise from the flat had started after eleven o'clock.
Mert bore witness to the accident and described everything to the police officer.
文法句型
bear testimony/witness + that-clause
bear witness + to + [noun phrase]
用法筆記
Nearly always used with testimony or witness as the object. The subject is a person who has direct knowledge.
常見錯誤
10. to serve as clear proof that something is true or existed — used when a fact, ob
to serve as clear proof that something is true or existed — used when a fact, object, or situation reveals evidence of something.
The empty classrooms bear testimony to the school's falling numbers over the past decade.
[inanimate subject] + bears testimony to [fact]
Yan's collection of old photographs bears witness to a lifetime of travel across four continents.
The deep cracks in the wall bear witness to the earthquake's tremendous force.
The festival's success bears testimony to the hard work of the volunteers.
文法句型
[thing] + bears + testimony/witness + to + [fact]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 9 (GIVE TESTIMONY): here the subject is a thing or situation (not a person), and the meaning is prove or indicate rather than verbally state.
11. to be positioned or lie in a specific place or direction in relation to another
to be positioned or lie in a specific place or direction in relation to another point, especially in geography or navigation.
The small village bears east of the main highway, hidden among the hills.
bear + [direction] + of [reference point]
Tunde's farmland bears to the south of the old railway line.
The forest bears in a north-easterly direction from the lake towards the mountain range.
The island bears about ten miles off the coast, roughly in line with the lighthouse.
- lie
more common for describing geographical positions
- be situated
neutral and widely used for locations
文法句型
bear + [direction] + of [reference point]
用法筆記
A literary or technical sense. In everyday English, 'is located', 'lies', or 'is' are preferred.
12. to hold or carry yourself in a particular manner, showing a specific attitude or
to hold or carry yourself in a particular manner, showing a specific attitude or quality through your actions and posture.
Anong bore herself with great dignity during the entire ceremony.
bear + oneself + with [quality]
The young soldier bore himself bravely even when the enemy came closer.
Adaeze bore herself like someone who knew exactly what she wanted to achieve.
Despite the pressure from the audience, the speaker bore himself with quiet confidence.
文法句型
bear + oneself + adverb/prepositional phrase
用法筆記
Almost always used reflexively (bear oneself). Suggests a visible, often admirable, quality in someone's behaviour or posture.
常見錯誤
13. to direct effort, authority, or persuasive force toward someone or something in
to direct effort, authority, or persuasive force toward someone or something in order to bring about a desired result — for example, bringing public pressure to bear on a company, or bearing down on a team to meet a deadline.
Community leaders brought pressure to bear on the hospital board to keep the clinic open.
bring + pressure + to bear + on [someone]
The sergeant bore down on the new recruits, demanding higher standards of discipline.
bear down on [someone] for stricter compliance
Unemployment figures bear directly on how the central bank sets interest rates.
Parents brought their concerns to bear at Tuesday's school board meeting.
The new safety rules will bear most heavily on small construction firms with limited budgets.
文法句型
bring + object + to bear (on/upon)
bear down on (someone/something)
bear on/upon (a matter/decision)
用法筆記
This sense almost always appears in fixed expressions — bring something to bear (on/upon), bear down on (someone/something), or bear on/upon (a matter). The plain transitive pattern 'bear + direct object' (e.g. 'bear an employee') is not used for this meaning.
常見錯誤
bear — noun
- bearsingular
- bearsplural
1. a very large wild animal with thick fur and a short tail that lives mainly in fo
a very large wild animal with thick fur and a short tail that lives mainly in forests and mountain areas of colder parts of the world
A large brown bear walked out of the forest and stood near the river.
article + adjective + bear as subject
The children at the zoo watched the bears playing in their enclosure.
countable plural: bears
Campers in the national park stored their food where bears could not reach it.
A mother bear and her two cubs crossed the mountain road just ahead of our car.
Sofia spotted fresh bear tracks along the trail near her cabin in Alaska.
文法句型
a bear
the bear
bears
用法筆記
Frequently used in compound nouns to name specific types, such as polar bear, brown bear, grizzly bear, and black bear. The word also commonly refers to teddy bears — soft toys for children shaped like the animal.
常見錯誤
2. a large, hairy man who is attracted to other men, with the term used especially
a large, hairy man who is attracted to other men, with the term used especially among gay communities as a positive way to describe a particular body type and personal style
The dating app lets users choose from several categories, including bear, twink, and otter.
bear as a community category label
Omar identified as a bear and felt welcomed at the community centre's social events.
identify as a bear
Diego grew a thick beard and started going to bear meet-ups around the city.
The magazine featured an article about bear culture and its growing visibility in the media.
文法句型
a bear
bears
常見錯誤
3. someone who sells investments such as company shares when they expect the price
someone who sells investments such as company shares when they expect the price to fall, hoping to buy them back at a cheaper price later and make a profit from the difference
Bears sold their shares in the tech company before the stock price dropped sharply.
bears as financial market actors
Analysts warned that a bear market could begin if interest rates continued to rise.
bear market (market with falling prices)
After reading the quarterly report, Chidi acted as a bear and shorted the stock.
Mei's investment strategy changed from a bull to a bear when the economy slowed down.
The newspaper described him as a bear who had correctly predicted the market downturn.
- short seller
more specific — a short seller actively borrows shares to sell, while a bear may simply sell holdings
- pessimist
broader — can apply outside finance to anyone with a negative outlook
- bull
someone who expects prices to rise and buys shares
文法句型
a bear
bear market
bearish
用法筆記
The opposite of a bear is a bull—someone who expects prices to rise. The term bear market describes a period when share prices keep falling, while bull market describes a period when prices keep rising.