bear.
A large, generally omnivorous mammal (a few species are purely carnivorous or herbivorous) of the family Ursidae; having shaggy fur, a very small tail, and flat feet.
Meaning & usage
A large, generally omnivorous mammal (a few species are purely carnivorous or herbivorous) of the family Ursidae; having shaggy fur, a very small tail, and flat feet.
A large, generally omnivorous mammal (a few species are purely carnivorous or herbivorous) of the family Ursidae; having shaggy fur, a very small tail, and flat feet. The meat of this animal.
We had barbecued bear for dinner.
A rough, unmannerly, uncouth person.
An investor who sells commodities, securities, or futures in anticipation of a fall in prices.
A state policeman (short for Smokey Bear).
A large, hairy man, especially one who is homosexual.
A koala (bear).
A portable punching machine.
A block covered with coarse matting, used to scour the deck.
The fifteenth Lenormand card.
Something difficult or tiresome; a burden or chore.
That window can be a bear to open.
Where this word comes from
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH-der.? Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH-der. Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰwer-der. Proto-Germanic *berô Proto-West Germanic *berō Old English bera Middle English bere English bear From Middle English bere, from Old English bera, from Proto-West Germanic *berō, from Proto-Germanic *berô (“bear”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (“brown”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian beer (“bear”), Saterland Frisian Boar, Boare (“bear”), West Frisian bear (“bear”), Cimbrian and Mòcheno per (“bear”), Dutch beer (“bear”), German Bär (“bear”), German Low German Boor (“bear”), Limburgish baer, Béër (“bear”), Luxembourgish Bier (“bear”), Vilamovian baor, bar (“bear”), West Flemish beir (“bear”), Yiddish בער (ber, “bear”), Danish, Faroese, and Norwegian Bokmål bjørn (“bear”), Icelandic and Swedish björn (“bear”), Norwegian Nynorsk bjøinn, bjønn, bjørn (“bear”), Gothic *𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌰 (*baira, “bear”); also Latin fiber (“beaver”), Greek φρύνος (frýnos, “toad”), Latvian bērs (“bay, brown”), Lithuanian bėras (“bay, reddish brown”), Belarusian бабёр (babjór, “beaver”), Bulgarian бобър (bobăr, “beaver”), Czech bobr (“beaver”), Macedonian дабар (dabar, “beaver”), Polish bober, bóbr (“beaver”) Russian бобёр (bobjór), бобр (bobr, “beaver”), Serbo-Croatian да̀бар, dàbar (“beaver”), Slovak bobor (“beaver”), Slovene bober (“beaver”), Ukrainian бобе́р (bobér, “beaver”), Armenian բորենի (boreni, “hyena”), Avestan 𐬠𐬀𐬡𐬭𐬀 (baβra, “beaver”), Northern Kurdish bor (“grey”), Ossetian бур (bur, “yellow”), Persian بور (bur, “blonde, fair; bay, reddish brown; brown”), Yaghnobi вур (vur, “brown”), Sanskrit बभ्रु (babhru, “ichneumon, mongoose”). etymology notes This is generally taken to be from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (“shining, brown”) (compare Tocharian A parno, Tocharian B perne (“radiant, luminous”), Lithuanian bė́ras (“brown”)), related to brown, bruin, and beaver. On this theory, the Germanic languages replaced the older name of the bear, *h₂ŕ̥tḱos, with the epithet "brown one", presumably due to taboo avoidance; compare Russian медве́дь (medvédʹ, “bear”, literally “honey-eater”). However, Ringe (2006:106) doubts the existence of a root *bʰer- meaning "brown" ("an actual PIE word of [the requisite] shape and meaning is not recoverable") and suggests that a derivation from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰwer- (“wild animal”) "should therefore perhaps be preferred", implying a Germanic merger of *ǵʰw and *gʷʰ (*gʷʰ may sometimes result in Germanic *b, perhaps e.g. in *bidjaną, but it also seems to have given the g in gun and the w in warm).
To endeavour to depress the price of, or prices in.
to bear a railroad stock
to bear the market
Where this word comes from
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH-der.? Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH-der. Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰwer-der. Proto-Germanic *berô Proto-West Germanic *berō Old English bera Middle English bere English bear From Middle English bere, from Old English bera, from Proto-West Germanic *berō, from Proto-Germanic *berô (“bear”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (“brown”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian beer (“bear”), Saterland Frisian Boar, Boare (“bear”), West Frisian bear (“bear”), Cimbrian and Mòcheno per (“bear”), Dutch beer (“bear”), German Bär (“bear”), German Low German Boor (“bear”), Limburgish baer, Béër (“bear”), Luxembourgish Bier (“bear”), Vilamovian baor, bar (“bear”), West Flemish beir (“bear”), Yiddish בער (ber, “bear”), Danish, Faroese, and Norwegian Bokmål bjørn (“bear”), Icelandic and Swedish björn (“bear”), Norwegian Nynorsk bjøinn, bjønn, bjørn (“bear”), Gothic *𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌰 (*baira, “bear”); also Latin fiber (“beaver”), Greek φρύνος (frýnos, “toad”), Latvian bērs (“bay, brown”), Lithuanian bėras (“bay, reddish brown”), Belarusian бабёр (babjór, “beaver”), Bulgarian бобър (bobăr, “beaver”), Czech bobr (“beaver”), Macedonian дабар (dabar, “beaver”), Polish bober, bóbr (“beaver”) Russian бобёр (bobjór), бобр (bobr, “beaver”), Serbo-Croatian да̀бар, dàbar (“beaver”), Slovak bobor (“beaver”), Slovene bober (“beaver”), Ukrainian бобе́р (bobér, “beaver”), Armenian բորենի (boreni, “hyena”), Avestan 𐬠𐬀𐬡𐬭𐬀 (baβra, “beaver”), Northern Kurdish bor (“grey”), Ossetian бур (bur, “yellow”), Persian بور (bur, “blonde, fair; bay, reddish brown; brown”), Yaghnobi вур (vur, “brown”), Sanskrit बभ्रु (babhru, “ichneumon, mongoose”). etymology notes This is generally taken to be from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (“shining, brown”) (compare Tocharian A parno, Tocharian B perne (“radiant, luminous”), Lithuanian bė́ras (“brown”)), related to brown, bruin, and beaver. On this theory, the Germanic languages replaced the older name of the bear, *h₂ŕ̥tḱos, with the epithet "brown one", presumably due to taboo avoidance; compare Russian медве́дь (medvédʹ, “bear”, literally “honey-eater”). However, Ringe (2006:106) doubts the existence of a root *bʰer- meaning "brown" ("an actual PIE word of [the requisite] shape and meaning is not recoverable") and suggests that a derivation from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰwer- (“wild animal”) "should therefore perhaps be preferred", implying a Germanic merger of *ǵʰw and *gʷʰ (*gʷʰ may sometimes result in Germanic *b, perhaps e.g. in *bidjaną, but it also seems to have given the g in gun and the w in warm).
Characterized by declining prices in securities markets or by belief that the prices will fall.
The great bear market starting in 1929 scared a whole generation of investors.
Where this word comes from
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH-der.? Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH-der. Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰwer-der. Proto-Germanic *berô Proto-West Germanic *berō Old English bera Middle English bere English bear From Middle English bere, from Old English bera, from Proto-West Germanic *berō, from Proto-Germanic *berô (“bear”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (“brown”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian beer (“bear”), Saterland Frisian Boar, Boare (“bear”), West Frisian bear (“bear”), Cimbrian and Mòcheno per (“bear”), Dutch beer (“bear”), German Bär (“bear”), German Low German Boor (“bear”), Limburgish baer, Béër (“bear”), Luxembourgish Bier (“bear”), Vilamovian baor, bar (“bear”), West Flemish beir (“bear”), Yiddish בער (ber, “bear”), Danish, Faroese, and Norwegian Bokmål bjørn (“bear”), Icelandic and Swedish björn (“bear”), Norwegian Nynorsk bjøinn, bjønn, bjørn (“bear”), Gothic *𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌰 (*baira, “bear”); also Latin fiber (“beaver”), Greek φρύνος (frýnos, “toad”), Latvian bērs (“bay, brown”), Lithuanian bėras (“bay, reddish brown”), Belarusian бабёр (babjór, “beaver”), Bulgarian бобър (bobăr, “beaver”), Czech bobr (“beaver”), Macedonian дабар (dabar, “beaver”), Polish bober, bóbr (“beaver”) Russian бобёр (bobjór), бобр (bobr, “beaver”), Serbo-Croatian да̀бар, dàbar (“beaver”), Slovak bobor (“beaver”), Slovene bober (“beaver”), Ukrainian бобе́р (bobér, “beaver”), Armenian բորենի (boreni, “hyena”), Avestan 𐬠𐬀𐬡𐬭𐬀 (baβra, “beaver”), Northern Kurdish bor (“grey”), Ossetian бур (bur, “yellow”), Persian بور (bur, “blonde, fair; bay, reddish brown; brown”), Yaghnobi вур (vur, “brown”), Sanskrit बभ्रु (babhru, “ichneumon, mongoose”). etymology notes This is generally taken to be from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (“shining, brown”) (compare Tocharian A parno, Tocharian B perne (“radiant, luminous”), Lithuanian bė́ras (“brown”)), related to brown, bruin, and beaver. On this theory, the Germanic languages replaced the older name of the bear, *h₂ŕ̥tḱos, with the epithet "brown one", presumably due to taboo avoidance; compare Russian медве́дь (medvédʹ, “bear”, literally “honey-eater”). However, Ringe (2006:106) doubts the existence of a root *bʰer- meaning "brown" ("an actual PIE word of [the requisite] shape and meaning is not recoverable") and suggests that a derivation from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰwer- (“wild animal”) "should therefore perhaps be preferred", implying a Germanic merger of *ǵʰw and *gʷʰ (*gʷʰ may sometimes result in Germanic *b, perhaps e.g. in *bidjaną, but it also seems to have given the g in gun and the w in warm).
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively.
They came bearing gifts.
Judging from the look on his face, he wasn't bearing good news.
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively. To carry (weapons, flags or symbols of rank, office, etc.) upon one's person, especially visibly; to be equipped with (weapons, etc.).
the right to bear arms
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively. To wear (garments, pieces of jewellery, etc.).
The queen bore the royal scepter and crown as she processed into the hall.
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively. To carry (offspring in the womb), to be pregnant (with).
The scan showed that the ewe was bearing twins.
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively. To have or display (a mark or other feature).
She still bears the scars from a cycling accident.
The stone bears a short inscription.
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively. To display (a particular heraldic device) on a shield or coat of arms; to be entitled to wear or use (a heraldic device) as a coat of arms.
The shield bore a red cross.
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively. To present or exhibit (a particular outward appearance); to have (a certain look).
He bore the look of a defeated man.
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively. To have (a name, title, or designation).
The school still bears the name of its founder.
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively. To possess or enjoy (recognition, renown, a reputation, etc.); to have (a particular price, value, or worth).
The dictator bears a terrible reputation for cruelty.
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively. To have (interest or a specified rate of interest) stipulated in its terms.
The bond bears a fixed interest rate of 3.5%.
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively. To have (an appendage, organ, etc.) as part of the body; (of a part of the body) to have (an appendage).
Only the male Indian elephant bears tusks.
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively. To carry or hold in the mind; to experience, entertain, harbour (an idea, feeling, or emotion).
to bear a grudge, to bear ill will
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively. To feel and show (respect, reverence, loyalty, etc.) to, towards, or unto a person or thing.
The brothers had always borne one another respect.
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively. To possess inherently (a quality, attribute, power, or capacity); to have and display as an essential characteristic.
to bear life
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively. To have (a relation, correspondence, etc.) to something else.
The punishment bears no relation to the crime.
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively. To give (written or oral testimony or evidence); (figurative) to provide or constitute (evidence or proof), give witness.
His achievements bear testimony to his ability.
The jury could see he was bearing false witness.
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively. To have (a certain meaning, intent, or effect).
This word no longer bears its original meaning.
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively. To behave or conduct (oneself).
She bore herself well throughout the ordeal.
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively. To possess and use, to exercise (power or influence); to hold (an office, rank, or position).
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively. To carry a burden or burdens.
To carry or convey, literally or figuratively. To take or bring (a person) with oneself; to conduct.
To support, sustain, or endure. To support or sustain; to hold up.
This stone bears most of the weight.
To support, sustain, or endure. To endure or withstand (hardship, scrutiny, etc.); to tolerate; to be patient (with).
The pain is too much for me to bear.
It doesn’t bear thinking about.
To support, sustain, or endure. To sustain, or be answerable for (blame, expense, responsibility, etc.).
The hirer must bear the cost of any repairs.
To support, sustain, or endure. To admit or be capable of (a meaning); to suffer or sustain without violence, injury, or change.
To support, sustain, or endure. To warrant, justify the need for.
This storm definitely bears monitoring.
To support, keep up, or maintain. To afford, to be something to someone, to supply with something.
To support, keep up, or maintain. To carry on, or maintain; to have.
To press or impinge upon. To push, thrust, press.
The rope has frayed where it bears on the rim of the wheel.
To press or impinge upon. To take effect; to have influence or force; to be relevant.
to bring arguments to bear
How does this bear on the question?
To press or impinge upon. Of a weapon, to be aimed at an enemy or other target.
The cannons were wheeled around to bear upon the advancing troops.
To produce, yield, give birth to. To give birth to (someone or something) (may take the father of the direct object as an indirect object).
In Troy she becomes Paris’ wife, bearing him several children, all of whom die in infancy.
The twins were borne by an Italian mother.
To produce, yield, give birth to. To produce or yield something, such as fruit or crops.
This year our apple trees bore a good crop of fruit.
To be, or head, in a specific direction or azimuth (from somewhere).
Carry on past the church and then bear left at the junction.
By my readings, we're bearing due south, so we should turn about ten degrees east.
To gain or win.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English beren (“carry, bring forth”), from Old English beran (“to carry, bear, bring”), from Proto-West Germanic *beran, from Proto-Germanic *beraną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti, from *bʰer- (“to bear, carry”). Akin to Old High German beran (“carry”), Dutch baren, Danish bære, Norwegian Bokmål bære, Norwegian Nynorsk bera, German gebären, Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌰𐌽 (bairan), Sanskrit भरति (bharati), Latin ferō, and Ancient Greek φέρω (phérō), Albanian bie (“to bring, to bear”), Russian брать (bratʹ, “to take”), Persian بردن (bordan, “to take, to carry”).
Alternative spelling of bere (“barley”).
Alternative spelling of bere (“pillowcase”).
Where this word comes from
From Middle English bere (“pillowcase”), of obscure origin, but compare Old English hlēorbera (“cheek-cover”). Possibly cognate to Low German büre, whence German Bühre, which in turn has been compared to French bure.
Try it on your idea.
bear has 4 characters. Say it out loud, try it alongside a description of your project, and see whether its meaning fits what you want to create.
These are naming prompts. Meanings and pronunciation can vary; existing brand and domain uses have not been checked.
Explore the name generatorA word with a source.
Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.