bear down on
Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Financial, Idioms, Encyclopedia.
bear 1
(bâr)v. bore (bôr), borne (bôrn) or born (bôrn), bear·ing, bears
v.tr.
1.
a. To carry (something) on one's person from one place to another: bore the suitcase to the station.
b. To move from one place to another while containing or supporting (something); convey or transport: a train bearing grain. See Synonyms at carry.
c. To cause to move by or with steady pressure; push: a boat borne along by the current.
d. To carry or hold in the mind over time; harbor: bear a grudge; bear ill will.
e. To have as a visible characteristic or attribute: a letter bearing his name.
2. To conduct (oneself) in a specified way: She bore herself with dignity.
3.
a. To hold up; support: This wall bears much of the weight of the roof.
b. To be accountable for; assume: bearing heavy responsibilities.
c. To have a tolerance for; endure: couldn't bear his lying; can't bear to see them leave. See Synonyms at endure.
d. To have grounds for; call for; warrant: This case bears investigation.
4.
a. To give birth to: bore six children.
b. To produce; yield: plants bearing fruit. See Synonyms at produce.
5. To offer; render: I will bear witness to the deed.
v.intr.
Phrasal Verbs: 1. To yield fruit; produce: peach trees that bear every summer.
2. To have relevance or influence; apply: They studied how the relativity theory bears on the history of science.
3. To endure something with tolerance or patience: Bear with me while I explain what happened.
4.
a. To extend or proceed in a specified direction: The road bears to the right at the bottom of the hill.
b. To be directed or aimed in a certain direction or at a target: The guns were brought to bear upon the approaching fleet.
bear down
1. To exert muscular pressure downward, as in giving birth to a baby.
2. To advance in a threatening manner: The ship bore down on our canoe.
3. To apply maximum effort and concentration: If you really bear down, you will finish the task.
bear out
To prove to be right or justified; confirm: The test results bear out our claims.
bear up
Idioms: To withstand stress, difficulty, or attrition: The patient bore up well during the long illness.
bear a relation/relationship to
To have an association with or relevance to: That remark bears no relation to the matter at hand.
bear a resemblance/liking/similarity to
To be similar to; appear or function like.
bear down on
1. To move rapidly toward: The ship bore down on the abandoned vessel.
2. To affect in a harmful or adverse way: Financial pressures are bearing down on them.
bear fruit
To come to a satisfactory conclusion or to fruition.
bear in mind
To hold in one's mind; remember: Bear in mind that bridges freeze before roads.
Usage Note: Thanks to the vagaries of English spelling, bear has two past participles: born and borne. Traditionally, born is used only in passive constructions referring to birth: I was born in Chicago. For all other uses, including active constructions referring to birth, borne is the standard form: She has borne both her children at home. I have borne his insolence with the patience of a saint.
bear 2
(bâr)n.
1.
a. Any of various usually omnivorous mammals of the family Ursidae that have a shaggy coat and a short tail and walk with the entire lower surface of the foot touching the ground.
b. Any of various other animals, such as the koala, that resemble a true bear.
2. A large, clumsy, or ill-mannered person.
3.
a. One, such as an investor, that sells securities or commodities in expectation of falling prices.
b. A pessimist, especially regarding business conditions.
4. Slang Something that is difficult or unpleasant: The final exam was a bear.
5. Slang A highway patrol officer.
6. Slang A hairy, stocky gay man.
adj.
Characterized by falling prices: a bear market.
[Middle English bere, from Old English bera; see bher- in Indo-European roots. Sense 3, probably from the proverb to sell the bear's skin before catching the bear.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. |  bear down on - sail towards another vessel, of a ship |
| 2. |  bear down on - exert a force with a heavy weight; "The snow bore down on the roof"press - exert pressure or force to or upon; "He pressed down on the boards"; "press your thumb on this spot" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
يَضْغَط عَلىيُهاجِم، يَغْضَب من
hnát se kpřiskočit ksnést se natěžce dolehnout
nyomást gyakorol
æîa aîòrÿsta á
priskočiťťažko doľahnúť
bütün ağırlığıyla çökmekezmektehlikeli bir biçimde üstüne gelmek
bear1
(beə) – past tense bore (boː) : past participle borne (boːn) – verb1. (usually with cannot, ~could not etc) to put up with or endure. I couldn't bear it if he left.
2. to be able to support. Will the table bear my weight?
3. (past participle in passive born (boːn) ) to produce (children). She has borne (him) several children; She was born on July 7.
4. to carry. He was borne shoulder-high after his victory.
5. to have. The cheque bore his signature.
6. to turn or fork. The road bears left here.
ˈbearable adjective able to be endured.
ˈbearer noun a person or thing that bears. the bearer of bad news.
ˈbearing noun1. manner, way of standing etc. a military bearing.
2. (usually in plural. sometimes short for ˌball-ˈbearings) a part of a machine that has another part moving in or on it.
ˈbearings noun plural location, place on a map etc; The island's bearings are 10 North, 24 West.
bear down on1. to approach quickly and often threateningly. The angry teacher bore down on the child.
2. to exert pressure on. The weight is bearing down on my chest.
bear fruit to produce fruit.
bear out to support or confirm. This bears out what you said.
bear up to keep up courage, strength etc (under strain). She's bearing up well after her shock.
bear with to be patient with (someone). Bear with me for a minute, and you'll see what I mean.
find/get one's bearings to find one's position with reference to eg a known landmark. If we can find this hill, I'll be able to get my bearings.
lose one's bearings to become uncertain of one's position. He's confused me so much that I've lost my bearings completely.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.