bearish

adjective

bear·​ish ˈber-ish 

1

: resembling a bear in build or in roughness, gruffness, or surliness

a bearish man

2

a

: marked by, tending to cause, or fearful of falling prices (as in a stock market)

bearish investors

b

: pessimistic

bearishly adverb

bearishness noun

Synonyms of bearish

• hopeless
• cynical
• pessimistic
• negative

Examples of bearish in a Sentence

The market has been bearish lately.

some studio execs are bearish about this summer's box office

Recent Examples on the Web

Their 50-day moving average recently slid below the longer-term 200-day moving average, forming a bearish pattern called a death cross, which typically signals that momentum is skewing toward a decline in the stock price. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026

To be sure, Parker remains bearish on software stocks, given that the obsolescence risk in the group suggest fewer winners will emerge. —Sarah Min, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026

During a strong bearish trend Price is below the cloud. —Karl Montevirgen, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026

Indonesia’s stocks and currency slid toward new bearish milestones as rising Middle East conflict dragged on regional assets, compounding concerns over the country’s investability and policy direction. —Prima Wirayani, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bearish

• cherish
• farish
• garish
• perish
• squarish
• nightmarish