If you bear an unpleasant experience, you accept it because you are unable to do anything about it. They will have to bear the misery of living in constant fear of war = endure
If you bring pressure or influence to bear on someone, you use it to try and persuade them to do something. His companions brought pressure to bear on him, urging him to stop wasting money
If something such as a bank account or an investment bears interest, interest is paid on it. The eight-year bond will bear annual interest of 10.5%. + -bearing -bearing interest-bearing current accounts
When a woman bears a child, she gives birth to him or her. Emma bore a son called Karl She bore him a daughter, Suzanna
If one thing bears no resemblance or no relationship to another thing, they are not at all similar. Their daily menus bore no resemblance whatsoever to what they were actually fed For many software packages, the price bears little relation to cost. = have
If you can't bear someone or something, you dislike them very much. I can't bear people who make judgements and label me He can't bear to talk about it, even to me
If someone bears the cost of something, they pay for it. Patients should not have to bear the costs of their own treatment
If you bear something somewhere, you carry it there or take it there. They bore the oblong hardwood box into the kitchen and put it on the table. = carry + -bearing -bearing food-bearing lorries
If you bear yourself in a particular way, you move or behave in that way. There was elegance and simple dignity in the way he bore himself. = carry
If something bears a particular mark or characteristic, it has that mark or characteristic. The houses bear the marks of bullet holes. note paper bearing the Presidential seal The room bore all the signs of a violent struggle
When a plant or tree bears flowers, fruit, or leaves, it produces them. As the plants grow and start to bear fruit they will need a lot of water. = produce + -bearing -bearing a strong, fruit-bearing apple tree
If you bear the responsibility for something, you accept responsibility for it. If a woman makes a decision to have a child alone, she should bear that responsibility alone. = accept
to bear the brunt of: see brunt to bear fruit: see fruit to grin and bear it: see grin to bear in mind: see mind to bear witness to: see witness
If you bear left or bear right when you are driving or walking along, you turn and continue in that direction. Go left onto the A107 and bear left into Seven Sisters Road. = veer see also bore, borne
If one thing bears the weight of something else, it supports the weight of that thing. The ice was not thick enough to bear the weight of marching men. = support + -bearing -bearing the load-bearing joints of the body
If you bear something such as a weapon, you hold it or carry it with you. the constitutional right to bear arms. + -bearing -bearing rifle-bearing soldiers. hundreds of flag-bearing marchers
If you bring something to bear on a situation, you use it to deal with that situation. British scientists have brought computer science to bear on this problem