plural bears
often attributive
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
3
[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
1
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
g
: to give as testimony
bear false witness
h
3
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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.
Examples of bear in a Sentence
Noun
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.
Verb
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?
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.
Verb
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 on the Web
Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 28 June 2025
An escaped prisoner requires guards to risk their lives as well among gators, pythons and bears.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 June 2025
Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 29 June 2025
Does this mean whether a baby -- a baby -- whether or not a baby’s a citizen of the United States depends on where the baby is born, what state?
—ABC News, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bear
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
As the seasons changed, her mother would remind her when panthers and bears were roaming around.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 28 June 2025
An escaped prisoner requires guards to risk their lives as well among gators, pythons and bears.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 June 2025
Verb
Hurricanes are born in the tropics, above warm water.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 29 June 2025
Does this mean whether a baby -- a baby -- whether or not a baby’s a citizen of the United States depends on where the baby is born, what state?
—ABC News, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bear
Cite this Entry
“Bear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bear. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bear
1 of 2 noun
ˈba(ə)r 
ˈbe(ə)r
plural bears
1
or plural bear
: any of a family of large heavy mammals that have long shaggy hair and small tails and feed largely on fruit, plants, and insects as well as on flesh
2
: a rude, burly, or clumsy person
a real bear in the morning
a great bear of a man
3
: a person who sells stocks or bonds in the expectation that the price will go down
bearish
adjective
ˈba(ə)r-ish
ˈbe(ə)r-
bear
2 of 2 verb1
a
: to move while holding up and supporting : carry
the right to bear arms
arrived bearing gifts
b
: to hold in the mind
bear a grudge
c
: behave sense 1
bore himself like a gentleman
d
: to give as testimony
bear false witness
e
: to have as a feature or characteristic
bears marks of suffering
bore a resemblance to her aunt
2
a
: to give birth to
bear children
the baby was born last week
b
: to bring forth : produce
bear fruit
3
a
: to hold up : support
b
: to put up with : stand
I can't bear the suspense
c
: assume sense 1
bore the costs
bear the blame
4
: to push down on : press
bears down on her pencil
5
: to move or lie in an indicated direction
bear right at the fork in the road
6
a
: to have a relation to the matter at hand
facts bearing on the question
b
: to exercise force or influence
bring pressure to bear
Etymology
Noun
Old English bera "a bear"
Verb
Old English beran "to carry, support"
Medical Definition
bear
transitive verb
bore
ˈbō(ə)r, ˈbȯ(ə)r
; borne
ˈbō(ə)rn, ˈbȯ(ə)rn
also born
ˈbȯ(ə)rn
; bearing
; borne
ˈbō(ə)rn, ˈbȯ(ə)rn
also born
ˈbȯ(ə)rn
; bearing
: to give birth to
Legal Definition
Geographical Definition
Bear
geographical name
river 350 miles (563 kilometers) long in northern Utah, southwestern Wyoming, and southeastern Idaho flowing to Great Salt Lake
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