plural noun
Large wild animals with thick fur, sharp claws, and short tails.
The bears moved through the forest.
We saw two bears near the river.
American English
How to pronounce bears
noun · verbB1Very common word
BEHRZ
/bɛɹz/
One syllable.
Form of bear
Bears is both the plural of bear and the third-person singular form of the verb bear.
Large wild animals with thick fur, sharp claws, and short tails.
Practice out loudMeanings & examples
plural noun
People who expect investment prices to go down.
The bears expect the stock to fall.
Several bears sold their shares before the drop.
Good to know
In finance, bears expect prices to fall.
third-person singular verb
Accepts or continues with something unpleasant.
She bears the pain without complaining.
He bears the long journey better than I do.
Good to know
This meaning is especially common in the expression cannot bear.
third-person singular verb
Holds up weight or carries a difficult load.
This bridge bears heavy traffic every day.
The shelf bears the weight of the books.
Useful expressions
to remember or consider something
Bear in mind that the store closes at six.
to be patient while someone finishes or solves something
Please bear with me while I check the order.
a period when investment prices are falling
Investors are worried about a bear market.
Related words & forms
The past form is bore, not beared. Use born for the birth meaning and borne for other meanings.