word-vault

{ "term": "bear", "partOfSpeech": "verb", "ox3000": true, "cefr": "b2", "verbForms": { "presentSimple": { "iYouWeThey": "bear", "heSheIt": "bears" }, "pastSimple": "bore", "pastParticiple": "borne", "ingForm": "bearing" }, "definitions": [ { "senseNumber": 1, "definition": "to be able to accept and deal with something unpleasant", "sensetop": "bear somethingbear doing somethingbear to do somethingbear somebody doing something", "cefr": "b2", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "The pain was almost more than he could bear.", "contextForm": "bear something" }, { "text": "She bore it all with her usual patience." }, { "text": "She **couldn't bear the thought of** losing him." }, { "text": "I can't bear having cats in the house.", "contextForm": "bear doing something" }, { "text": "He can't bear being laughed at." }, { "text": "He can't bear to be laughed at.", "contextForm": "bear to do something" }, { "text": "I **can hardly bear** to think about it." }, { "text": "How can you bear to eat that stuff?" }, { "text": "I can't bear you doing that.", "contextForm": "bear somebody doing something" }, { "text": "I just can't bear it any more!" }, { "text": "Don't leave me alone. I wouldn't be able to bear it." }, { "text": "How can you bear this awful noise?" }, { "text": "She couldn't bear seeing him so upset." }, { "text": "We could hardly bear to be outdoors in the blinding sunlight." } ], "collocations": { "verb + bear": ["be able to", "can", "be unable to"] } }, { "senseNumber": 2, "definition": "to take responsibility for something", "sensetop": "bear something", "labels": "(formal)", "cefr": "b2", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "She **bore the responsibility** for most of the changes." }, { "text": "Do parents have to **bear the** whole **cost** of tuition fees?" }, { "text": "In the end it's consumers who **bear the burden** of higher prices." }, { "text": "You shouldn't have to bear the blame for other people's mistakes." }, { "text": "You must bear at least some responsibility for what has happened." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 3, "definition": "to support the weight of somebody/something", "sensetop": "bear something", "cefr": "b2", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "The ice is too thin to bear your weight." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 4, "definition": "to show something; to carry something so that it can be seen", "sensetop": "bear something", "labels": "(formal)", "examples": [ { "text": "The document bore her signature." }, { "text": "He was badly wounded in the war and still bears the scars." }, { "text": "She **bears little resemblance to** *(= is not much like)* her mother." }, { "text": "The title of the essay **bore little relation to** *(= was not much connected with)* the contents." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 5, "definition": "to not be suitable for something", "sensetop": "not bearbear somethingbear doing something", "examples": [ { "text": "Her later work **does not bear comparison** with her earlier novels *(= because it is not nearly as good)*.", "contextForm": "bear something" }, { "text": "The plan **won't bear** close **inspection** *(= it will be found to be unacceptable when carefully examined)*." }, { "text": "The joke **doesn't bear repeating** *(= because it is not funny or may offend people)*.", "contextForm": "bear doing something" }, { "text": "His sufferings **don't bear thinking about** *(= because they are so terrible)*." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 6, "definition": "to have a feeling, especially a negative feeling", "sensetop": "bear somethingbear somebody something", "examples": [ { "text": "He **bears no resentment** towards them.", "contextForm": "bear something" }, { "text": "He's **borne a grudge** against me ever since that day." }, { "text": "He's **borne me a grudge** ever since that day.", "contextForm": "bear somebody something" }, { "text": "She **bore** him **no ill will**." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 7, "definition": "to have a particular name", "sensetop": "bear something", "labels": "(formal)", "examples": [ { "text": "a family that bore an ancient and honoured name" } ] }, { "senseNumber": 8, "definition": "to carry somebody/something, especially while moving", "sensetop": "bear somebody/something", "labels": "(old-fashioned or formal)", "examples": [ { "text": "three kings bearing gifts" }, { "text": "Guests starting arriving, mostly bearing gifts." }, { "text": "He returned bearing a basket of vegetables." }, { "text": "Her two sons helped bear the coffin." }, { "text": "His parents had borne the child across the mountains." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 9, "definition": "to move, behave or act in a particular way", "sensetop": "bear yourself well, etc.", "labels": "(formal)", "examples": [ { "text": "He bears himself *(= stands, walks, etc.)* proudly, like a soldier." }, { "text": "She bore herself with dignity throughout the funeral." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 10, "definition": "to give birth to a child", "sensetop": "bear somethingbear somebody something", "labels": "(formal)", "examples": [ { "text": "She was not able to bear children.", "contextForm": "bear something" }, { "text": "She had borne him six sons.", "contextForm": "bear somebody something" } ] }, { "senseNumber": 11, "definition": "to produce flowers or fruit", "sensetop": "bear something", "labels": "(formal)", "examples": [ { "text": "These trees take a long time to bear fruit." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 12, "definition": "to go or turn in the direction mentioned", "sensetop": "bear (to the) left, north, etc.", "examples": [ { "text": "When you get to the fork in the road, bear right." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to be a soldier; to fight", "labels": "(old use)", "examples": [] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to have a successful result", "examples": [], "topics": ["Success"] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to be a cause of difficulty or worry to somebody", "labels": "(formal)", "examples": [ { "text": "Taxation bears heavily on us all." }, { "text": "The burden of the tax bore most heavily on the poor." } ], "topics": ["Difficulty and failure"] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to remember somebody/something; to remember or consider that…", "examples": [ { "text": "You don't have to do anything about it now… just bear it in mind." }, { "text": "Here are some important points to keep in mind…" }, { "text": "I'll keep what you say in mind." }, { "text": "Try to keep safety in the forefront of your mind at all times." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to receive the main force of something unpleasant", "examples": [ { "text": "Schools will bear the brunt of cuts in government spending." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to provide evidence of the truth of something", "examples": [ { "text": "The crowd of mourners at his funeral bore witness to the great affection in which he was held." }, { "text": "The ancient temples bear silent witness to the passing dynasties." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to be realized by somebody, especially after a period of time", "labels": "(formal, especially British English)", "examples": [ { "text": "It was gradually borne in on us that defeat was inevitable." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to use energy, pressure, influence, etc. to try to achieve something or make somebody do something", "labels": "(formal)", "examples": [ { "text": "We must bring all our energies to bear upon the task." }, { "text": "**Pressure was brought to bear** on us to finish the work on time." } ], "topics": ["Success"] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to accept pain or bad luck without complaining", "examples": [ { "text": "There's nothing we can do about it. We'll just have to grin and bear it." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to have a difficult problem that makes you worried or unhappy but that you have to deal with", "examples": [ { "text": "We all have our crosses to bear." } ] } ], "pronunciations": { "uk": [ { "pronunciation": "/beə(r)/", "audio": "be/bear/bear__gb_2.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/beəz/", "audio": "be/bear/bears__gb_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/bɔː(r)/", "audio": "bo/bear/bore__gb_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/bɔːn/", "audio": "bo/bear/borne__gb_4.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/ˈbeərɪŋ/", "audio": "be/bear/bearing__gb_1.mp3" } ], "us": [ { "pronunciation": "/ber/", "audio": "be/bear/bear__us_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/berz/", "audio": "be/bear/bears__us_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/bɔːr/", "audio": "bo/bear/bore__us_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/bɔːrn/", "audio": "bo/bear/borne__us_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/ˈberɪŋ/", "audio": "be/bear/bearing__us_1.mp3" } ] }, "wordOrigin": "verb Old English beran, of Germanic origin; from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit bharati, Greek pherein, and Latin ferre." }