bear
[verb]
Synonyms:
- support, have, hold, maintain, possess, shoulder, sustain, uphold
- carry, bring, convey, hump (Brit. slang), move, take, transport
- produce, beget, breed, bring forth, engender, generate, give birth to, yield
- tolerate, abide, allow, brook, endure, permit, put up with (informal), stomach, suffer

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Contrasted words: lack, need, want, abort, miscarry, decline, refuse, reject, spurn, avoid, bypass, elude, evade, shun
Related Idioms: bring abed, bring to bed, bring to birth, give birth to, have a baby, make do, put up with, take lying down
Related Words: shoulder, display, exhibit, show, breed, engender, generate, propagate, reproduce, fructify, fruit, fabricate, fashion, form, make, shape, create, invent, afflict, torment, torture, try, allow, condone, countenance, permit, acquiesce, bow, defer, submit, yield

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English Thesaurus: carry, tote, lug, cart, schlep, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. bear¹ S2 W2 /beə $ ber/ verb (past tense bore /bɔː $ bɔːr/, past participle borne /bɔːn $ bɔːrn/) [transitive]
[Word Family: verb: bear; noun: bearer; adverb: bearably ≠ unbearably; adjective: bearable ≠ unbearable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: beran]

1. DEAL WITH SOMETHING to bravely accept or deal with a painful, difficult, or upsetting situation Synonym : stand:
She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to bear the pain.
Overcrowding makes prison life even harder to bear.
Make the water as hot as you can bear.
The humiliation was more than he could bear.
Black people continue to bear the brunt of most racial violence (=have to deal with the most difficult or damaging part).
Passengers could be insulting, and stewardesses just had to grin and bear it (=accept it without complaining).
Experts were worried the financial system would not be able to bear the strain.

REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say that they can’t stand something, rather than that they can't bear it:
I couldn’t stand the noise any longer.

2. can’t bear something spoken
a) to be so upset about something that you feel unable to accept it or let it happen Synonym : can’t stand:
Please don’t leave me. I couldn’t bear it.
can’t bear the thought of (doing) something
I just can’t bear the thought of having to start all over.
can’t bear to do something
I can’t bear to see her cry.
can’t bear doing something
I couldn’t bear not seeing him again.
b) to dislike something or someone very much, often so that they make you feel annoyed or impatient Synonym : can’t stand:
Oh, I really can’t bear him.
can’t bear somebody doing something
He can’t bear people smoking while he’s eating.
can’t bear doing something
I can’t bear being cold.

3. bear (something) in mind to remember a fact or piece of information that is important or could be useful in the future Synonym : keep (something) in mind
bear in mind (that)
Bear in mind that some children will need help.

4. ACCEPT/BE RESPONSIBLE FOR formal to be responsible for or accept something
bear the costs/burden
Each company will bear half the costs of development.
Fares have gone up, perhaps to more than the market will bear.
bear the responsibility/blame etc
Developed countries bear much of the responsibility for environmental problems.

5. SUPPORT to be under something and support it Synonym : hold:
My leg was painful, and I wasn’t sure it would bear my weight.
a tray bearing a bottle and several glasses
a load-bearing wall

6. SIGN/MARK formal to have or show a sign, mark, or particular appearance, especially when this shows that something has happened or is true Synonym : have:
The letter bore no signature.
a car bearing diplomatic license plates
The labels bear a yellow and black symbol.
The town still bears the scars of the bombings during the war.
The store bears the hallmarks (=it has the qualities) of a family-owned business.

7. bear a resemblance/relation to somebody/something to be similar to someone or something else:
The child bore a striking resemblance to his father.
The things she says bear little relation to what she actually does.

8. BABY formal to give birth to a baby:
She might never be able to bear children.
bear somebody a child/son/daughter
She bore him three sons.

9. bear fruit
a) if a plan, decision etc bears fruit, it is successful, especially after a long period of time:
Charles’s diplomacy eventually bore fruit.
b) if a tree bears fruit, it produces fruit

10. ABLE TO BE EXAMINED/COMPARED ETC [often in negatives] to be suitable or good enough to be examined, compared, repeated etc without failing or being wrong:
The production figures did not bear scrutiny.
We believe our pupils’ results will bear comparison with any in Scotland.
The story is well known, but it certainly bears repeating.

11. something doesn’t bear thinking about used to say that something is so upsetting or shocking that you prefer not to think about it:
The long-term consequences of a nuclear leak don’t bear thinking about.

12. bear interest if a bank account, investment etc bears interest, the bank pays you a particular amount of money for keeping your money in the account

13. CARRY literary to carry someone or something, especially something important:
The wedding guests arrived, bearing gifts.
The US Constitution states that the people have a right to bear arms.

14. bring pressure/influence to bear (on somebody/something) to use your influence or power to get what you want:
Unions can bring pressure to bear on governments.

15. bear witness/testimony to something formal to show that something is true or exists:
The empty workshops bear witness to the industrial past.

16. HAVE FEELINGS formal to have a particular feeling, especially a bad feeling
bear (somebody) a grudge (=continue to feel annoyed after a long time)
It was an accident. I don’t bear any grudges.
bear somebody no malice/ill will etc (=not feel angry)
He was just doing his job, and I bore him no malice.

17. bear right/left to turn towards the right or left:
When you reach the fork in the trail, bear left.

18. bear yourself formal to walk, stand etc in a particular way, especially when this shows your character:
She bore herself with great dignity.

19. WIND/WATER literary if wind, water, or air bears something, it carries it somewhere:
The sound of music was borne along on the wind.

20. NAME/TITLE formal to have a particular name or title:
He bore the name ‘Magnus’.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. bear² noun [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: bera]

1. a large strong animal with thick fur, that eats flesh, fruit, and insects:
a mother bear and her cubs ⇒ grizzly bear, polar bear, teddy bear

2. American English informal something that is very difficult to do or to deal with:
The chemistry test was a bear.

3. be like a bear with a sore head British English informal to be rude to people because you are feeling bad-tempered

4. technical someone who sells shares or goods when they expect the price to fall ⇒ bull

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

bear
verb
I. accept/deal with sth
VERB + BEAR be able/unable to, can/could (hardly/scarcely) Don't leave me alone. I wouldn't be able to bear it. How can you bear this awful noise? We could hardly bear to be outdoors in the blinding sunlight.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

bear
II. be responsible for sth
VERB + BEAR have to, must Do parents have to bear the whole cost of tuition fees? You must bear at least some responsibility for what has happened.
PHRASAL VERBS bear on/upon sb/sth
ADV. heavily The burden of the tax bore most heavily on the poor.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

bear

bear the pain
He knew that he couldn’t bear the pain much longer.
bear the heat/cold
Some people find it hard to bear the heat in the summer.
bear the strain/pressure
Mark couldn’t bear the pressure of the job any longer.
can hardly bear something (=find something very difficult or upsetting to do)
He was so ashamed that he could hardly bear to look at her.
be unable to bear something
Fiona was unable to bear the thought of selling the house.
be hard to bear
The situation was very hard to bear.
be more than somebody can bear
He sometimes felt the grief was more than he could bear.
bear the brunt of something (=be in the worst position and have to deal with it)
Shareholders will bear the brunt of the company’s financial troubles.
grin and bear it (=accept it without complaining)
It was a horrible job but she had to grin and bear it.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

bear
verb
1.
BAD: The government also controls the number of children that a

Usage Note:
couple can bear.
GOOD: The government also controls the number of children that a couple can have.
BAD: I want to get married and bear children.
GOOD: I want to get married and have children.
Bear (sb) a child is used only in formal styles and refers to the physical process of giving birth: 'She bore her husband two daughters and one son.' The subject of bear is always a woman.
When you are talking about beginning a family or the number of children in a family, use have (NOT bear ): 'We'd like to have children while we're still young.'

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2.
BAD: 'I can't bear any longer,' he said. 'I'm ready to resign.'
GOOD: 'I can't bear it any longer,' he said. 'I'm ready to resign.'
BAD: I can't bear if someone starts cracking their knuckles.
GOOD: I can't bear it if someone starts cracking their knuckles.

Usage Note:
can't bear + it (+ if/when clause): 'I can't bear it when people start complaining about nothing.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

carry to have something or someone in your hands or arms when you go somewhere:
She was carrying a heavy suitcase.
Mary fainted, and had to be carried inside.
tote especially American English informal to carry something such as a bag or a gun:
He came out of the office toting a black leather briefcase.
Guards toting machine guns stood inside the airport.
lug to carry something heavy, with difficulty:
They lugged the mail in heavy canvas bags into the building.
cart to carry something large and heavy somewhere, especially when this is annoying or hard work:
We carted all the furniture upstairs.
schlep American English informal to carry something heavy:
Marty schlepped the suitcases upstairs.
bear formal to carry something – used when talking about what someone has with them when they go somewhere. Bear is commonly used as a participle bearing:
They arrived bearing gifts.
Anna returned, bearing a large red packet.
carry out work
You’ll have to get a builder to carry out the work.
carry out your duties/responsibilities
She carried out her duties very efficiently.
carry out a task/job
He was unable to carry out simple tasks.
carry out research
I was in Italy carrying out research for my book.
carry out a survey
The committee has carried out a survey of parking problems in residential areas.
carry out a check
Manufacturers carry out safety checks on all new cars.
carry out a test
Forensic experts are now carrying out DNA tests.
carry out an experiment
Many schools need better facilities for carrying out scientific experiments.
carry out a review
The government is carrying out a review of state pension provision.
carry out a study
He has carried out various studies into violent behaviour.
carry out an investigation
The police will carry out an investigation into what actually happened.
carry out an inquiry
A formal inquiry into the cause of death will be carried out.
carry out an assessment
The company is carrying out an assessment of staff training needs.
carry out a search
Here are some more ways of carrying out information searches online.
carry out an attack
It became clear that terrorists had carried out the attack.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

support to say that you agree with a person or idea, and usually help them because you want them to succeed:
We will support your decision.
Thanks to everyone who supported us throughout the trial.
The tsunami appeal was supported by thousands of people.
back to support a person or plan by providing money or practical help – used about governments or other powerful groups:
The £100 million scheme is backed by the British government.
The people backing him do not have the interests of the club at heart.
endorse to formally and officially say that you support a person, plan, or idea:
Agriculture ministers refused to endorse the Commission's proposals.
get behind somebody/something to support a person or plan and help them be successful - used especially about a group of people:
The England fans really got behind the team.
I really believe in this initiative, but it was hard to find business people who were willing to get behind it.
The police can't do anything unless the public gets behind them.
stand up for somebody/something to say that you support someone or something when they are being attacked:
You were the only person who stood up for me at the meeting.
He stood up for what he believed in.
side with somebody to support one of the people or groups involved in an argument - used especially when you disapprove of this or think it is unfair:
I felt she was siding with her mother rather than standing up for me.
The jury often side with the defendant in these situations.
hold up to stop something from falling:
These poles hold up the outer part of the tent.
His trousers were held up by an old piece of string.
prop up to stop something from falling by putting something against it or under it:
The builders have propped up the walls with steel beams.
carry to support the weight of someone or something – used about something supporting several people, vehicles etc:
The bridge could only carry up to two cars at a time.
The lift can carry up to 12 people.
hold to be strong enough to support the weight of someone or something:
Are you sure the branch will hold both of us?
She prayed that the roof would hold her weight as she crawled along it.
bear literary or technical to hold the weight of something:
The truck did not look strong enough to bear the weight of all those people.
a load-bearing wall
take somebody's/something's weight to be strong enough to support the weight of someone or something:
His damaged leg would not take his weight.
Any large mirrors should have additional support to take their weight.
Make sure you choose a pole that will take the weight of your curtains.
have support
The extreme right-wing parties don’t have much popular support.
give (your) support (also lend (your) support formal)
The American people gave him their enthusiastic support.
The naturalist Sir David Attenborough has lent his support to the campaign.
pledge/offer (your) support (=say that you will support someone or something)
Both the opposition parties pledged full support for the new administration.
get/draw support
The plan drew wide support from parents.
win/gain/attract support
Try to win the support of local shopkeepers.
enjoy/command support formal (=have support)
His views were too extreme to command general support.
drum up/rally support (=get people’s support by making an effort)
Both sides have been drumming up support through the internet.
enlist sb’s support formal (=ask for and get their support)
He wrote to the Prime Minister in an attempt to enlist his support.
mobilize support (=get people to support something in an active way)
Part of their mission was to mobilize popular support for Franco.
build (up) support (=increase it)
Now he needs to build his support by explaining what he believes in.
withdraw support (=no longer support )
He's decided to withdraw his support for the project.
public/popular support
There seemed to be no popular support for war.
widespread/wide/general support
There is widespread support for the Government’s proposal.
strong support
A survey found strong support for the project among hospital staff.
massive support
We have massive public support.
sb’s full support
That view deserves the full support of all farmers.
whole-hearted/enthusiastic support
I want you to know that you have my whole-hearted support.
active support (=approval and help)
Les, with the active support of his wife Pam, has spent several years compiling a list of the prisoners.
unanimous support (=when all members of a group support something)
There was nearly unanimous support for the proposal.
help the things you do to make it easier or possible for someone to do something:
Now that I’m working, the kids need to give me more help with the housework.
The book would never have been finished without his help.
assistance help. Assistance is more formal than help, and is used especially about people giving official help:
The police are asking the public for their assistance.
The project received financial assistance from the government.
Thank you very much for your assistance, sir.
He set up the business with the assistance of his two sons.
aid help. Aid is more formal than help, and is used especially about money, food, medicine etc. that is given to countries or people that are in a very bad situation:
Aid is being sent to areas affected by the earthquake.
The US spends billions of dollars on aid to developing countries.
Another driver stopped and came to his aid.
cooperation help – used especially when people, organizations, or countries work together to get things done, and show that they are willing to do this:
a spirit of international cooperation
The cooperation of landowners was needed for the plan to succeed.
backup extra people, equipment etc that can be used in case people need help:
The officer waited for backup to arrive before making any arrests.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

bear
̈ɪbɛə
See: grin and bear it , loaded for bear

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲