Skip to main content
bear

bear

957 1.0
A large heavy animal with thick fur and strong claws
  • noun
  • /bɛr/
translation icon : oso
  • Visitors to the zoo were excited to see the small bear cubs playing in their enclosure.
  • polar bear
  • grizzly bear
  • black bear

We you may have met a bear or squirrels.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • "If necessary, though, he and his team trap 'nuisance' bears, immobilize and tag them, then relocate them.

    Academic text (2011)
  • - There are bears here.

  • Is that a bear trap?

  • With global climate change, the bears' hot spots may soon shift location.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Even in this remote place, the bears carry heavy loads of pollutants.

    Academic text (2012)
  • As oak trees take root farther north, more acorns, a bear favorite, will be available in northern Minnesota.

    Academic text (2011)
  • More than 95 percent of the mercury in polar bears is of anthropogenic origin.

    Academic text (2012)
  • Together, these characteristics will allow bears to remain in the HBEF region, barring increased disturbance by humans.

    Academic text (2012)
  • While hiking in the woods, we spotted a large bear searching for food near a riverbank.

  • The park ranger explained that the bear would likely enter hibernation as winter approached.

Synonyms

grizzly
vsbear
  • US
57 3.9

A large brownish-gray bear in western North America with a hump on its shoulder

is the broad mammal term not limited to that region or color
polar bear
vsbear
  • US
37 1.1

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

is the general mammal term not specialized for Arctic life or white fur
grizzly bear
vsbear
  • US
22 3.1

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

is the generic mammal term not specific to that subspecies
brown bear
vsbear
6 1.9

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

is the broad mammal category not limited to one color or species
Kodiak bear
vsbear
  • US
1 5.5

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

is the general mammal term not focused on that coastal population
American black bear
vsbear
  • Specialized
1 3.4

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

is the larger family term covering many sizes and temperaments
ursid
vsbear
  • Specialized
8.2

A mammal of the bear family, for example a brown or polar bear

is the common descriptive term for these large furred mammals
Ursus arctos
vsbear
  • Specialized
7.9

A large brown bear that lives in Europe, Asia and North America

is the general mammal term not the formal scientific label
Ursus horribilis
vsbear
  • Specialized
8.2

A large strong brown bear that lives in western North America called a grizzly bear

is the general mammal term rather than a specific scientific name
Kodiak
vsbear
  • US
7.7

A very large brown bear that lives near the sea in Alaska, especially on Kodiak Island

is the broader mammal term rather than this specific subspecies
Ursus arctos middendorffi
vsbear
  • Specialized
9.9

A very large brown bear that lives on Kodiak Island and nearby coasts of Alaska and British Columbia

is the wider mammal label not tied to that named subspecies
Alaskan brown bear
vsbear
  • US
3.2

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

is the general mammal term not confined to that coastal subspecies
black bear
vsbear
  • Indian
3.0

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

is the general mammal name including many species beyond that color or region
Asiatic black bear
vsbear
  • Indian
6.3

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

is the broad family term not limited to that chest mark or region
ice bear
vsbear
2.3

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

is the wider mammal name rather than this regional or alternate name
sloth bear
vsbear
  • Indian
8.1

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

is the general mammal term not specialized for insect diet or that snout

Idioms

13 6.7

Take the worst part of something bad

A hard burden someone must live with

5 6.8

To accept an unpleasant situation without complaining

to poke the bear
  • Informal
3 8.4

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

loaded for bear
  • Informal
3 9.2

Ready and well prepared to face a strong challenge

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

Compounds

58 1.0

A soft toy shaped like a bear that children hug

37 1.1

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

22 3.1

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

bear market
  • Specialized
16 5.3

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

11 1.0

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

9 3.0

A very strong, tight hold with your arms around someone

6 1.9

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

5 1.0

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

4 2.9

A sweet yeast pastry shaped like a semicircle with slits

4 1.0

A young bear that still depends on its mother

koala bear
  • Australian
2 1.0

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

average bear
  • Informal
2 7.2

An ordinary person with average skills and no special qualities

1 6.4

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

1 5.5

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

1 7.7

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

bear hug
  • Jargon
1 8.1

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

bear-baiting
  • Offensive
1 9.9

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

Care Bear
  • Baby Talk
1 3.0

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

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

1 6.3

A legal right for people to own and carry guns

9.9

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

8.3

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

9.1

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

9.5

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

7.6

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

9.9

To set dogs on a bear for people to watch

About the same size as a bear and very heavy

black bear
  • Indian
3.0

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

8.4

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

8.1

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

coon bear
  • Archaic
9.9

A large black and white bear that eats bamboo

drop bear
  • Australian
9.9

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

8.2

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

8.5

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

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

6.3

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

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

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

7.9

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

2.3

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

native bear
  • Australian
4.8

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

pookie bear
  • Baby Talk
9.9

A loving name someone uses for a partner or child

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

9.8

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

sloth bear
  • Indian
8.1

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

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

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

How Big

polar bear
  • US
37 1.1
brown bear
6 1.9
bear
957 1.0
black bear
  • US
11 1.0

Surface Forms

bear singular
bears plural

Etymology

Bear (the animal) comes from an old German word bera meaning 'the brown one', because people long ago often named the animal by its colour, and the name now reminds us of its brown or dark fur.