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

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

Don’t get all that bearish about stocks because of oil. —Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Mar. 2026

The hardliners’ apparent success is among the reasons US officials are bearish on the prospects for regime change in the country, despite Washington’s calls for Iranians to overthrow the leadership. —Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 4 Mar. 2026

The core of the firm’s bearish thesis centers on a massive pool of routine, low-complexity insurance policies. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bearish

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