3 VERB If one thing bears the weight of something else, it supports the weight of that thing. □ [V n] The ice was not thick enough to bear the weight of marching men. ● -bearing COMB □ …the load-bearing joints of the body.
4 VERB If something bears a particular mark or characteristic, it has that mark or characteristic. □ [V n] The houses bear the marks of bullet holes. □ [V n] …notepaper bearing the Presidential seal. □ [V n] The room bore all the signs of a violent struggle.
5 VERB If you bear an unpleasant experience, you accept it because you are unable to do anything about it. □ [V n] They will have to bear the misery of living in constant fear of war.
6 VERB [with neg] If you can't bear someone or something, you dislike them very much. □ [V n/v-ing] I can't bear people who make judgements and label me. □ [V to-inf] He can't bear to talk about it, even to me.
7 VERB If someone bears the cost of something, they pay for it. □ [V n] Patients should not have to bear the costs of their own treatment.
8 VERB If you bear the responsibility for something, you accept responsibility for it. □ [V n] If a woman makes a decision to have a child alone, she should bear that responsibility alone.
9 VERB If one thing bears no resemblance or no relationship to another thing, they are not at all similar. □ [V n] Their daily menus bore no resemblance whatsoever to what they were actually fed. □ [V n] For many software packages, the price bears little relation to cost.
10 VERB When a plant or tree bears flowers, fruit, or leaves, it produces them. □ [V n] As the plants grow and start to bear fruit they will need a lot of water. ● -bearing COMB □ …a strong, fruit-bearing apple tree.
11 VERB If something such as a bank account or an investment bears interest, interest is paid on it. [BUSINESS ] □ [V n] The eight-year bond will bear annual interest of 10.5%. ● -bearing COMB □ …interest-bearing current accounts.
12 VERB When a woman bears a child, she gives birth to him or her. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ [V n] Emma bore a son called Karl. □ [V n n] She bore him a daughter, Suzanna.
13 VERB If you bear yourself in a particular way, you move or behave in that way. [LITERARY ] □ [V pron-refl adv/prep] There was elegance and simple dignity in the way he bore himself.
14 VERB If you bear left or bear right when you are driving or walking along, you turn and continue in that direction. □ [V adv] Go left onto the A107 and bear left into Seven Sisters Road.
15 → see also bore , borne
16 PHRASE If you bring something to bear on a situation, you use it to deal with that situation. □ British scientists have brought computer science to bear on this problem.
17 PHRASE If you bring pressure or influence to bear on someone, you use it to try and persuade them to do something. □ His companions brought pressure to bear on him, urging him to stop wasting money.
18 to bear the brunt of → see brunt
19 to bear fruit → see fruit
20 to grin and bear it → see grin
21 to bear in mind → see mind ➊
22 to bear witness to → see witness
▸ bear down
1 PHRASAL VERB If someone or something bears down on you, they move quickly towards you in a threatening way. □ [V P + on ] A group of half a dozen men entered the pub and bore down on the bar. [Also V P ]
2 PHRASAL VERB To bear down on something means to push or press downwards with steady pressure. □ [V P + on ] The roof support structure had collapsed and the entire weight was bearing down on the ceiling. [Also V P ]
▸ bear out PHRASAL VERB If someone or something bears a person out or bears out what that person is saying, they support what that person is saying. □ [V P n] Recent studies have borne out claims that perfumes can cause psychological changes. [Also V n P ]
▸ bear with PHRASAL VERB If you ask someone to bear with you, you are asking them to be patient. □ [V P n] If you'll bear with me, Frank, just let me try to explain.
➋ bear /beə r / (bears )
1 N‑COUNT A bear is a large, strong wild animal with thick fur and sharp claws.
2 → see also polar bear , teddy bear
3 N‑COUNT [usu pl] On the stock market, bears are people who sell shares in expectation of a drop in price, in order to make a profit by buying them back again after a short time. Compare bull . [BUSINESS ] SYNONYMS bear VERB
➊1
carry: He carried the plate through to the dining room.
lift: She lifted the last of her drink to her lips.
hold: He held the pistol in his right hand.
➊ 5
accept: Urban dwellers often accept noise as part of city life.
tolerate: he can no longer tolerate the position that she's in.
put up with: They had put up with bad behaviour from their son.