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to bear

to bear

9 6.7
To act in a particular way
  • verb
  • /bɛr/
: comportarse
  • When speaking in public, try to bear yourself confidently to engage your audience.

Examples

  • In other words, he brings a new dichotomy to bear on an old issue.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Liberation Christology is silent about themes that bear on the divinity of Christ.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Bear yourself well, my son.

  • Senator Lord was a striking man who bore himself with the dignity of his office.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • The steps were slow and measured, bearing the full weight of all the generations of mankind.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Her hands work swiftly but softly, her face bearing the look of affable indifference.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • You should always bear yourself with dignity, especially in difficult situations.

  • In times of crisis, it is important to bear yourself calmly and think clearly.

Synonyms

to act
vsto bear
∞ 1.0

Behave in a certain way, often to pretend or hide feelings

is the neutral term for general manner without pretending
to do
vsto bear
∞ 1.0

Act in a particular way

is the general, formal description of that same manner
to behave
vsto bear
677 1.0

To act in a proper or polite way

is the general phrase not limited to politeness or correctness
to conduct
vsto bear
44 3.7

To behave in a particular way in a situation

is the broader term for personal manner in situations
to carry
vsto bear
38 3.0

Have a particular way of moving or behaving

is the general idea of showing a particular manner
to comport
vsto bear
  • Formal
11 8.0

Behave in a way that matches what people expect

is the general description focusing on simple manner not only standards
to deport
vsto bear
  • Formal
1 6.1

To behave in a certain way to follow rules or show respect

is the general phrase without implying rule-based compliance
to bear oneself with dignity
vsto bear
  • Formal
7.6

To behave calmly and with self-respect in difficult or formal situations

is broader, covering any manner not only composed dignity

Antonyms

37 2.8

To act in a rude way or break rules

Idioms

16 6.7

Take the worst part of something bad

11 7.2

A hard burden someone must live with

loaded for bear
  • Informal
4 9.2

Ready and well prepared to face a strong challenge

to poke the bear
  • Informal
4 8.4

To do something on purpose to make an angry or dangerous person react

3 6.8

To accept an unpleasant situation without complaining

9.9

Win first place in a competition

To behave calmly and with self-respect in difficult or formal situations

To say yes strongly in an informal, rude way

Phrasal Verbs

61 5.1

To be connected with or affect something

Remember something when you decide or think about it

44 4.8

To be patient with someone while they fix something

40 4.6

Show that something is true, often by signs or by people saying they saw it

35 5.1

To use effort or knowledge to solve a problem

33 4.7

Show by facts that something is true

19 5.8

Move quickly and forcefully toward someone or something to attack

To press hard on something with great force

14 6.1

To accept or live with an idea that makes you unhappy

9 4.4

To stay strong and positive when facing hard times

6 7.0

Press hard on something or make it feel heavy

6 7.0

To push someone to do or finish something

4 6.8

Move a person or thing from one place into a different state, often by force

4 5.4

Use all your effort and focus on something difficult

To use influence to persuade someone to do something

3 5.8

Have an effect on or relate to something

2 8.1

Push the lower belly muscles during childbirth to help the baby out

to bear down upon
  • Specialized
1 8.2

Sail a ship close to another one, usually to attack

1 7.0

To carry someone or something away from a place to another

to bear down on
  • Specialized
1 7.7

To move a ship toward another ship often to attack it

Cannot stand something because it is too unpleasant or upsetting

Compounds

85 1.0

A soft toy shaped like a bear that children hug

70 1.1

A large white bear that lives in the Arctic and hunts seals on sea ice

34 3.1

A large, powerful brown bear that lives in mountains and forests in western North America

18 1.0

A medium-sized wild animal in North America with black or dark brown fur

bear market
  • Specialized
16 5.3

A time when stock prices fall a lot and people expect them to keep falling

12 3.0

A very strong, tight hold with your arms around someone

9 1.9

A large, powerful wild animal with brown fur that lives in forests in Asia and North America

9 1.0

A young bear that still depends on its mother

8 1.0

A large black and white bear from China that eats mostly bamboo

koala bear
  • Australian
8 1.0

A slow tree animal from Australia with grey fur that eats eucalyptus leaves and carries its babies in a pouch

5 6.4

A sharp claw from a bear used as an ornament or piece of jewelry

Care Bear
  • Baby Talk
3 3.0

A made-up colorful bear character with a symbol on its belly showing a feeling

2 2.3

A large white bear that lives in the Arctic and hunts seals

2 5.5

A very large brown bear that lives on Kodiak Island and nearby coasts

1 2.9

A sweet yeast pastry shaped like a semicircle with slits

average bear
  • Informal
1 7.2

An ordinary person with average skills and no special qualities

1 7.9

An animal from tropical America that lives in trees and uses its long tail to hold branches while eating fruit

bear-baiting
  • Offensive
1 9.9

An old cruel show where a chained bear is attacked by dogs

1 6.3

A legal right for people to own and carry guns

1 7.7

A furry caterpillar with black and brown bands that appears in gardens

1 3.7

A large group of stars in the northern sky that includes the Big Dipper

pookie bear
  • Baby Talk
1 9.9

A loving name someone uses for a partner or child

1 6.3

A medium-sized black bear with a white V-shaped chest patch from central and eastern Asia

sloth bear
  • Indian
1 8.1

A large, hairy bear from south-central Asia that eats ants and termites

1 9.1

A plant that lives for many years with long leaves like grass and tall stalks of white flowers

1 9.9

A large reddish-brown mammal like a raccoon that lives in trees in Southeast Asia

American black bear
  • Specialized
1 3.4

A medium-sized North American bear usually with black or dark brown fur and less aggressive than brown bears

drop bear
  • Australian
1 9.9

A fake dangerous animal Australians joke about that falls from trees onto people to scare tourists

1 8.1

A reddish-brown type of bear found mainly in western North America

1 8.2

A mammal in Africa that is active at night and digs burrows to eat termites

1 8.5

A large hairy South American mammal with a long tongue and strong claws for eating ants

1 3.9

About the same size as a bear and very heavy

A very large brown bear that lives on the coasts of Alaska and British Columbia

A hairy caterpillar with thick, stiff hairs that turns into a small moth

1 8.5

A type of brown bear with pale yellow fur from the Middle East

1 8.4

A small reddish-brown animal like a raccoon that lives in the eastern Himalayas and eats bamboo

bear hug
  • Jargon
1 8.1

An offer to buy a company at a very high price that its directors feel they must accept

1 6.0

A small group of stars in the northern sky that includes the North Star

native bear
  • Australian
1 4.8

A small Australian animal that lives in trees, carries babies in a pouch, and eats eucalyptus leaves

1 9.8

A stocky wild animal from North America with thick fur that eats meat, like a wolverine

1 9.5

A small oak tree that grows like a bush and forms dense thickets

coon bear
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A large black and white bear that eats bamboo

1 7.6

A sweet bun shaped like a bear's paw with almond filling

1 9.9

To set dogs on a bear for people to watch

8.3

A carved or painted design that looks like a bear's claw on pottery and crafts

black bear
  • Indian
3.0

A small wild animal in Asia with black fur and a pale chest patch

A hairy caterpillar with a thick, fuzzy coat and dark bands

Surface Forms

bear infinitive
bearing present participle
bears third person singular
bore past
born past participle

Etymology

Bear comes from the old German beran meaning 'to carry', so to 'bear' yourself a certain way is to 'carry' your body or behaviour in that style.