abear

transitive verb

əˈba(a)(ə)r,

-be(ə)r

chiefly dialectal

: endure, abide

—usually used with can and negative

I can't abear a sulk

—H. G. Wells

Word History

Etymology

Middle English aberen "to bear up, raise, put up with, endure," going back to Old English āberan "to bear, sustain, endure," from a- "out, away" (also as weak perfective prefix) + beran to bear; a- (also ā-, ǣ- under stress in nominal derivatives) akin to Old Frisian a-, perfective prefix, Old Saxon ā-, ō- (unstressed a-) and probably to Old English or- "outward, extreme, lacking (in nominal compounds)," Old Frisian & Old Saxon ur-, or-, Old High German ar-, ir-, er- unstressed inchoative verb prefix, ur "out of, away from," Old Norse ūr-, ör-, "out of, from," ør-, privative prefix, Gothic us- "out of," us-, privative and perfective prefix; if from pre-Germanic *ud-s- akin to Old English ūt "out"

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

The Ultimate Dictionary Awaits

Expand your vocabulary and dive deeper into language with Merriam-Webster Unabridged.

1. Expanded definitions
2. Detailed etymologies
3. Advanced search tools
4. All ad-free

Discover what makes Merriam-Webster Unabridged the essential choice for true word lovers.

Start Your Free Trial Now

Rhymes for abear

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare