bear down

verb

bore down; borne down also born down; bearing down; bears down

transitive verb

: overcome, overwhelm

intransitive verb

: to exert full strength and concentrated attention

see also:

bear down on

Synonyms of bear down

• weigh (on or upon)
• press
• shove
• compress

Examples of bear down in a Sentence

you need to bear down on that cap a bit to get it to latch tightly

Recent Examples on the Web

For whatever reason, a number of these stories focus on characters dealing with outside forces bearing down on them. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Hawaii is under a state of emergency with powerful Hurricane Lowell set to bear down on its western islands Monday. — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026

Yes, two Baltimore Ravens bore down on Washington’s third-year quarterback. — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Remember to provide a step stool to make getting on and off the toilet a little easier and to give your child something to bear down on when the going gets tough. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for bear down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

bear down

verb

1

: overwhelm, overcome

2

: to press or weigh down

3

: to make an all-out effort

4

: to weigh heavily on : burden

Medical Definition

bear down

intransitive verb

(ˈ)ba(ə)r-ˈdau̇n, (ˈ)be(ə)r- 

: to contract the abdominal muscles and the diaphragm during childbirth