Bear vs Bare | Difference, Meaning & Examples
The words bear and bare are homophones (i.e., they are pronounced in the same way), but their meanings are different.
- The verb bear means to “carry,” “support,” or “accept” something. The noun bear refers to a wild animal.
- The adjective bare describes something that is “uncovered,” or “empty.” The verb bare means to “uncover” or “reveal” something.
| Bear in a sentence | Bare in a sentence |
|---|---|
| She was bearing an armful of gifts. | You’ll be cold with bare arms and legs. |
| I don’t think it will bear my weight. | The woods are bare of leaves in winter. |
| But who will bear the responsibility? | The shelves of the store were virtually bare. |
| There are three species of wild bear in the US. | The wolf bared its fangs. |
Bear (verb)
The verb bear literally means to carry (e.g., “The guard traditionally bears a ceremonial sword”), but it usually expresses a range of other related meanings.
| Examples | Meaning |
|---|---|
| The floor won’t bear the weight of a grand piano. | Support (weight) |
| I can’t bear this heat. | Tolerate (something or someone) |
| He doesn’t like to wear clothes bearing logos. | Have/show (name/symbol) |
| Queen Isabella bore the King two more children. | To have a child |
But you spell it without an “e” when using “to be born” to refer to a child entering the world (e.g., “She was born in summer,” “Only five children have been born in the town this year”).
Phrases with bear
The verb “bear” is also used in many multiword expressions.
| Examples | Meaning |
|---|---|
| The tenant shall bear the cost of any damage. | If you “bear the cost” of something, you pay for it. |
| Her account bears no resemblance to what actually occurred. | Something that “bears a resemblance” to something else is similar to it. |
| Bear that in mind when you speak to him. | “Bear in mind” is a synonym for “keep in mind.” |
| I don’t know; bear with me, and I’ll get back to you. | If someone asks you to “bear with” them, they are asking you to be patient with them. |
| Our efforts are starting to bear fruit. | If something is “bearing fruit,” it is showing success. |
| I think he still bears a grudge against me. | “Bearing a grudge” means to have ongoing negative feelings toward someone as a result of something that happened in the past. |
| The small seaside town bore the brunt of the storm. | “Bear the brunt” means to suffer the greatest impact of a negative event. |
Bare (adjective)
The adjective bare describes something that is “uncovered” (e.g., a part of the body). You can also use it to mean “empty” or “lacking decoration/embellishment.”
Everything had been taken; the cupboards were bare.
Why don’t you brighten up these bare walls with a few posters?
Phrases with bare
Bare is used as an adjective and a verb in a number of multiword expressions.
| Examples | Meaning |
|---|---|
| She only packed the bare essentials/necessities. | The minimum necessary. |
| In the interview, he laid bare the truth about his checkered past. | To “lay bear” means to reveal. |
| I haven’t got much time; just give me the bare bones/facts. | The basic/most significant details |
| He bared his soul to his closest friend. | “Baring your soul” to someone means telling them about your very personal feelings or intimate secrets. |
Frequently asked questions about bear vs bare
- Is it bear weight or bare weight?
-
“Bear and bare” are commonly confused words. The correct spelling is bear in the phrase “bear weight.”
For example, “The chair won’t bear my weight” (i.e., the chair won’t support my weight and might break).
Use QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to help you make the correct choices between commonly confused words such as “bear and bare.”
- Is it bare down or bear down?
-
“Bear and bare” are commonly confused words. The correct spelling is bear in the phrasal verb “bear down.”
For example, “She was bearing down on him fast” (i.e., she was moving closer to him), or “We need to bear down hard” (i.e., we need to make more effort).
Use QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to help you make the correct choices between commonly confused words such as “bear and bare.”
- Is it burden to bear or bare?
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“Bear and bare” are commonly confused words. The correct spelling is bear in the phrase “burden to bear.”
For example, “It’s not your burden to bear” (i.e., it’s not your responsibility).
Use QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to help you make the correct choices between commonly confused words such as “bear and bare.”
- Is it too much to bear or bare?
-
“Bear and bare” are commonly confused words. The correct spelling is bear in the phrase “too much to bear.”
For example, “The heat was too much to bear” (i.e., the heat was impossible to endure).
Use QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to help you make the correct choices between commonly confused words such as “bear and bare.”
- Is it bear fruit or bare fruit?
-
“Bear and bare” are commonly confused words. The correct spelling is bear in the phrase “bear fruit.”
For example, “All our hard work is now bearing fruit” (i.e., The hard work we did is now producing good results).
Use QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to help you make the correct choices between commonly confused words such as “bear and bare.”
